MARY  MAGDALENE 


Mary  Magdalene 

A  Play  in  Three  Acts 


BY 

MAURICE   MAETERLINCK 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 
1910 


COPYRIGHT,  1910, 
BY  MAURICE  MAETERLINCK 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORN 
SANTA  BARBARA  COLLEGE  LII 


AUTHOR'S   NOTE 

I  have  borrowed  from  Mr.  Paul 
Heyse's  drama,  Maria  von  Magdala,  the 
idea  of  two  situations  in  my  play,  namely, 
at  the  end  of  the  first  act,  the  intervention 
of  Christ,  who  stops  the  crowd  raging 
against  Mary  Magdalene  with  these 
words,  spoken  behind  the  scenes:  "He 
that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him  cast 
the  first  stone;"  and,  in  the  third,  the 
dilemma  in  which  the  great  sinner  finds 
herself,  of  saving  or  destroying  the  Son  of 
God,  according  as  she  consents  or  refuses 
to  give  herself  to  a  Roman. 

Before  setting  to  work,  I  asked  the  ven- 
erable German  poet,  whom  I  hold  in  the 
highest  esteem,  for  his  permission  to  de- 
velop those  two  situations,  which,  so  to 
v 


Author's  Note 

speak,  were  merely  sketched  in  his  play, 
with  its  incomparably  richer  plot  than 
mine ;  and  I  offered  to  recognize  his  rights 
in  whatever  manner  he  thought  proper. 
My  respectful  request  was  answered  with  a 
refusal,  none  too  courteous,  I  regret  to 
say,  and  almost  threatening. 

From  that  moment,  I  was  bound  to  con- 
sider that  the  words  from  the  Gospel, 
quoted  above,  are  common  property;  and 
that  the  dilemma  of  which  I  speak  is  one 
of  those  which  occur  pretty  frequently  in 
dramatic  literature.  It  seemed  to  me  the 
more  lawful  to  make  use  of  it  inasmuch 
as  I  had  happened  to  imagine  it  in  the 
fourth  act  of  Joyzelle,  in  the  same  year  in 
which  Maria  von  Magdala  was  published 
and  before  I  was  able  to  become  acquainted 
with  that  play. 

I  will  add  that,  excepting  the  principle 
of  these  two  situations,  in  all  that  concerns 
vi 


Author's  Note 

the  subject  of  the  play,  the  conduct  of  the 
action,  the  persons,  the  characters,  the  evo- 
lution and  the  atmosphere,  our  two  works 
have  absolutely  nothing  in  common:  not  a 
phrase,  not  a  cue  of  the  one  will  be  found 
in  the  other. 

Having  said  this,  I  am  happy  to  express 
to  the  aged  master  my  gratitude  for  an  in- 
tellectual benefit  which  is  none  the  less 
great  for  being  involuntary. 

MAURICE  MAETERLINCK. 


ACT  I 


ACT  I 

(The  gardens  of  ANNCEUS  SILANUS 
at  Bethany.  A  Roman  terrace.  A 
quincunx.  Marble  benches,  porti- 
coes, statues.  In  the  centre,  a  basin 
with  a  fountain.  Arbours.  Orange* 
trees  and  laurel-trees  in  stone  vases. 
A  balustrade  on  the  right  and  left, 
overlooking  the  valley.  A  balus- 
trade at  the  back,  open  at  the  middle 
to  give  access  to  a  walk  lined  with 
plane-trees  and  statues  and  ending  in 
a  thick  hedge  of  laurels  which  closes 
the  garden. ) 

SCENE   I 

(ENTER  ANNCEUS  SILANUS  and 
Lucius  VERUS) 

SILANUS 

Here  is  the  terrace,  the  glory  of  my  little 
3 


Mary  Magdalene 

domain:  it  reminds  me  of  my  terrace  at 
Praeneste,  which  was  the  crown  of  my  de- 
sires. Here  are  my  orange-trees,  my  cy- 
presses and  my  oleanders.  Here  is  the  fish- 
pond, the  portico  with  the  images  of  the 
gods :  one  of  them  is  a  statue  of  Minerva, 
discovered  at  Antioch.  (Pointing  to  the 
landscape  on  the  left.}  And  here  you 
have  the  incomparable  view  over  the  val- 
ley, where  spring  already  reigns.  We 
hang  midway  in  space.  Admire  the  anem- 
ones streaming  down  the  slopes  of  Beth- 
any. It  is  as  though  the  earth  were  ablaze 
beneath  the  olive-trees.  Here  I  relish  in 
peace  the  advantages  of  old  age,  which 
knows  how  to  take  pleasure  in  the  past; 
for  youth  narrows  the  enjoyment  of  good 
things,  by  considering  only  those  which 
are  present.  .  .  . 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

At  last !  Here  are  trees  and  water  and 
grass!  ...  I  had  lost  the  memory  of 
them  since  my  arrival  in  this  stony  desert 
which  men  call  Judaea.  .  .  .  But  how 
comes  it,  O  my  good  master,  that  you  have 
taken  up  your  abode  near  that  dull  and 
barren  city,  where  the  soil  is  abominable, 
where  the  men  are  ugly,  churlish,  crafty 
and  mischievous,  unclean  and  barbarous? 

SILANUS 

As  you  know,  I  came  with  the  Procu- 
rator Valerius  Gratus  to  Csesarea;  then 
I  returned  to  Rome,  where  you  were 
for  some  time  my  faithful  and  favourite 
pupil.  But  soon  I  became  ashamed  of 
teaching  a  wisdom  whose  certainties  be- 
came more  doubtful  to  my  mind  as  the 
assurance  wherewith  I  proclaimed  them 
5 


Mary  Magdalene 

increased.  I  was  brought  back  here,  to 
this  barbarous  Judaea,  by  the  strangest 
curiosity.  During  my  first  sojourn,  I  had 
begun  to  study  the  sacred  books  of  the 
Jews.  They  are  crude  and  bloodthirsty; 
but  they  also  contain  beautiful  myths  and 
the  early  efforts  of  an  uncivilized  but,  at 
times,  singular  wisdom.  They  have  not 
yet  wearied  me. 

VERUS 

Yes,  our  friend  Appius,  whom  I  met  at 
Antioch,  told  me  of  your  studies  and  of 
your  sudden  and  inordinate  passion  for 
old  Jewish  books.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 
He  will  be  here  shortly.   .    .   . 

VERUS 

Who?  Appius?  .  .  .  Is  he  at  Jeru- 
salem? 

6 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

Did  you  not  know?  .  .  .  But  how 
long  have  you  yourself  been  in  this  coun- 
try? ...  In  your  letter  of  two  days 
since,  you  did  not  tell  me.  .  .  ;.; 

VERUS 

Nearly  a  week;  and  I  wished  to  give 
my  first  leisure  to  you.  I  left  Antioch 
to  go  to  Jerusalem  with  the  Procurator 
Pontius  Pilate.  He  fears  disturbances  and 
will  probably  need  the  help  of  my  old 
legionaries.  .  :.  . 

SILANUS 

The  spacious,  ample  Appius,  whose 
words  are  as  rambling  as  his  habits  and 
bring  together  the  most  distant  friends, 
spoke  to  me  of  you,  even  as  he  spoke  to 
you  of  me.  He  told  me  that,  when  he  had 
7 


Mary  Magdalene 

the  good  fortune  to  meet  you  at  Antioch, 
you  seemed  a  prey  to  some  great  unhappy 
love.  .  .  . 

VERUS 
Which  was  that? 

SILANUS 

What!  Can  the  handsomest  of  military 
tribunes,  in  his  magnificent  array,  know 
more  than  one  love  that  is  not  happy? 
...  It  concerned  a  woman  of  these 
regions,  a  Galilean,  if  I  be  not  mis- 
taken. .,  .  ., 

VERUS 

Mary  of  Magdala?  .  .  .  Did  he 
speak  to  you  of  her?  .  .  .  Where  is 
she?  ...  I  did  not  see  her  again;  she 
left  Antioch  suddenly;  and  I  lost  trace  of 
her.  .  .  ;.. 

SILANUS 

But  why  did  she  not  listen  to  you  ?  .  .  . 
8 


Mary  Magdalene 

Appius  declared  to  me  that  she  sets  the 
men  of  this  country,  it  is  true,  at  naught, 
but  shows  herself  not  at  all  inexorable  to 
the  Roman  knights.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

It  is  one  of  those  riddles  of  womankind 
which  our  duties  as  soldiers  hardly  leave 
us  time  to  solve.  She  did  not  appear  to 
dislike  me;  at  least,  the  dislike  which  she 
affected  was  not  without  a  harsh  gentle- 
ness. .  .  .  But  there  was  mingled  with 
it  a  certain  incomprehensible  dread,  which 
made  her  timidly  avoid  me.  .  .  .  Be- 
sides, she  seemed  lately  to  have  suffered  a 
great  sorrow,  for  which  she  has  already,  I 
hear,  consoled  herself  more  than  once.  .  . 

SILANUS 

I  do  not  know;  and  all  this  does  not  seem 
to  me  so  very  discouraging.       After  all, 
9 


Mary  Magdalene 

why  afflict  one's  self  with  what  the  gods 
created  for  pleasure?  .  .  .  Appius, 
therefore,  wished  me  to  cure  you,  by 
my  wise  counsels,  of  an  ill  that  saddens 
you  needlessly.  But,  first,  do  you  love  her 
as  much  as  Appius  declares?  His  talk  is 
often  extravagant  and  heedless.  .... 

VERUS 

I  desired  her,  I  still  desire  her,  as  I 
have  never  desired  any  woman.  ;. •  .  . 

SlLANUS 

You  speak  wisely  in  not  separating, 
from  the  outset,  desire  and  love.  Besides, 
I  understand.  She  is  certainly  the  love- 
liest of  all  the  many  women  whom  I  have 
admired  in  my  life. 

VERUS 

What!   .   .    .       You   have   seen   her? 
.  .  .    Is  she  at  Jerusalem  then? 
10 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

She  is  even  nearer  to  us  than  Jerusalem, 
which  is  fifteen  stadia  from  Bethany.  .  . 
(Drawing  him  a  little  to  the  right} .  Come 
to  this  portico  and  look  over  there,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  valley.  .  .  .  What  do  you 
see?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  see  olive-trees,  paths,  tombs.  .  .  . 
Then  I  see  the  pediments  of  palaces  or 
temples,  columns,  cypresses.  .  .  .  One 
might  think  one's  self  in  the  outskirts  of 
Rome.  .  .  .  But  I  do  not  perceive.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

It  was  Herod  the  Great,  a  sort  of  ra- 
ving lunatic,  but  given  to  building,  who 
filled    this    valley    with    splendid    palaces 
more  Roman  than  those  of  Rome  herself. 
11 


Mary  Magdalene 

.  .  .  But  look  half-way  down  the  hill, 
to  the  left  of  those  three  tall  cypresses, 
three  or  four  stadia  from  here.  .  .  .  Do 
you  espy  one  of  the  most  beautiful  marble 
villas?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

The  villa  with  the  wide  white  steps  lead- 
ing to  a  semicircular  colonnade  adorned 
with  statues?  ... 

SILANUS 
That  is  where  she  has  retired.  ,.    .    . 

VERUS 

Mary  Magdalene  ?  .  .  .  In  that  soli- 
tude, so  far  from  the  city?  .  .  ... 

SILANUS 

She  told  me  that  she  was  fleeing  from 
the  fanaticism  of  the  Jews,  the  tumult  and 
the  sickening  smells,  which  increase  two- 


Mary  Magdalene 

fold   at   Jerusalem   as   the    Passover   ap- 
proaches.  .    .    . 

VERUS 

Then  you  see  her?  .  .  .  You  have 
spoken  to  her?  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

The  good  Appius,  knowing  that  the 
sight  of  a  young  and  beautiful  woman  de- 
lights my  eyes  without  endangering  them, 
did  not  dissuade  her  from  coming  up  to 
the  house  of  a  disarmed  and  harmless  old 
man.  ..  .  . 

VERUS 

What  did  she  say  to  you  ?  .  .  .  What 
impression  did  she  make  upon  you  ?  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

She  was  clad  in  a  raiment  that  seemed 
woven  of  pearls  and  dew,  in  a  cloak  of 
13 


Mary  Magdalene 

Tyrian  purple  with  sapphire  ornaments, 
and  decked  with  jewels  that  rendered  a 
little  heavier  this  eastern  pomp.  As  for 
her  hair,  surely,  unloosed,  it  would  cover 
the  surface  of  that  porphyry  vase  with  an 
impenetrable  veil  of  gold.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  speak  of  her  intelligence,  her  char- 
acter. ,..  .  .  Do  not  mistake:  she  is  no 
vulgar  courtezan.  .  .  .  She  has  other 
attractions,  binding  love  more  firmly.  .  . 

SlLANUS 

I  minded  only  her  beauty,  which  is  real 
and  contents  the  eye.  ,.  .  .  However, 
we  can  judge  better  presently:  she  will 
soon  be  coming.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

She  is  coming  here?   .  _,.  .     But  does 
14 


Mary  Magdalene 

she    know    that    she    will    find    me    with 
you?  .  ...   . 

SlLANUS 

Most  certainly.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
this  meeting  would  do  more  to  assuage 
your  malady  than  the  wise  counsels  threat- 
ened by  Appius.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

But  she?  .  .  .  What  did  she  say 
when  she  learnt  that.  .  .  . 

SlLANUS 

She  smiled  with  a  quivering  and  pensive 
grace.  .  .  .  The  other  guests  will  be 
our  indispensable  Appius  and  Coelius,  your 
fellow-pupil  at  Praeneste.  ...  I  hope 
that  they  will  bring  our  poor  friend  Longi- 
nus,  who,  three  weeks  ago,  lost  a  little 
daughter  two  years  old.  ...  I  will 
try  to  console  him,  by  good  and  persua- 
15 


Mary  Magdalene 

sive  arguments,  for  a  sorrow  certainly  dis- 
proportionate to  his  loss.  We  shall  have, 
among  other  dishes — all  excellent,  I 
hope, — two  fish  from  the  Jordan,  new  to 
you,  which,  dressed  by  Davus,  my  old 
cook.  .  .  .  But  I  hear  the  sound  of  the 
double  flute.  ...  It  must  be  the  litter 
of  the  queen  of  Bethany  and  Jerusalem  at 
the  threshold  of  my  house  .  .  .  Your 
eyes  will  soon  behold  the  soft  light  which 
they  have  missed  and  mine  the  smile  that 
pleases  them.  .  .  .  unless  the  silver  mir- 
rors in  the  Atrium  delay  her  longer  than 
they  should  .  .  . 

VERUS 

She  is  here.   .    .    . 

(ENTER,    on    the    right,    MARY 
MAGDALENE.    She  is  followed  by 
some  slaves,   whom  she  dismisses 
16 


Mary  Magdalene 

with  a  harsh  and  imperious  ges- 
ture. ) 

SCENE  II 
THE  SAME,  MARY  MAGDALENE 

SILANUS  (going  up  to  receive 
MARY  MAGDALENE 

RWho  is  this  that  cometh  out  of  the 
wilderness  like  pillars  of  smoke,  perfumed 
with  myrrh  and  frankincense?  .  .  . 
Who  is  she  that  looketh  forth  as  the  morn- 
ing, fau*  as  the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun  and 
terrible  as  an  army  with  banners,"  as 
your  sacred  books  sing  at  the  approach  of 
the  Shulamite?  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Do  not  speak  to  me  of  my  sacred  books. 
I  loathe  them,  as  I  loathe  everything  that 
17 


Mary  Magdalene 

comes    from    that    deceitful    and   sordid, 
greedy  and  mischievous  nation.   .    .    . 

VERUS  (coming  forward  to 
greet  her  in  his  turn} 

I  will  say  then,  in  the  Roman  fashion, 
"Hail  to  the  eldest  daughter  of  Aglaia, 
youngest  and  happiest  of  the  Graces  I " 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Pity  me,  instead  of  praising  me.  I  was 
robbed,  last  night,  of  my  Carthaginian  ru- 
bies, besides  twelve  of  my  finest  pearls; 
and,  what  I  feel  even  more,  my  Babylonian 
peacock  and  all  the  muraenae  in  my  fish- 
pond. .  .  . 

VERUS 

Who  dared  commit  such  manifest  sac- 
rilege? .  .  . 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  do  not  know.  ...  I  have  had  the 
slaves  in  charge  of  the  aviary  and  the  fish- 
pond beaten  with  rods  and  put  to  the  tor- 
ture: they  have  confessed  nothing  and  I 
believe  that  they  know  nothing.  .  .  . 

VERUS 
Have  you  no  clue,  no  suspicion? 

SILANUS 

The  theft  amazes  me,  for  the  country 
is  safe.  ...  I  have  been  living  here 
for  nigh  six  years;  and  no  one  has 
ever  tried  to  rob  me  of  an  atom  of  my 
wisdom,  which  is  never  under  lock  and 
key  and  is  the  only  precious  thing  that 
I  possess.  .  .  .  The  Jew  is  crafty, 
sly  and  evil-minded;  he  practises  cheating 
and  usury  as  well  as  most  of  the  cringing 
virtues  and  vices;  but  he  nearly  always 
19 


Mary  Magdalene 

avoids  frank,  straightforward  theft,  hon- 
est theft,  if  one  may  say  so.    ... 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  at  first  suspected  some  Tyrian  work- 
men who  are  fitting  one  of  the  rooms  in 
my  villa  with  those  movable  panels  which 
are  changed  at  every  course,  so  that  the 
walls  may  harmonize  with  the  dishes  cov- 
ering the  table.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  have  seen  some  like  them  in  the  house 
of  our  Governor,  Pomponius  Flaccus,  at 
Antioch;  but  I  did  not  know  that  this 
fashion,  so  new  to  Rome  herself,  had  al- 
ready made  its  way  into  this  remote 
country.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Nor  will  you  find  it,  except  in  my  house; 

and  the  last  palace  of  the  Tetrarch  Antipas 

is  still  without  it.   ...     Therefore  I  be- 

20 


Mary  Magdalene 

gan  by  suspecting  those  workmen;  but  I 
have  proofs  that  they  are  innocent.  I  now 
feel  sure  that  the  thieves  must  be  sought 
among  that  band  of  vagrants  and  prowl- 
ers who  have  been  infesting  the  country 
for  some  time.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 
The  famous  band  of  the  Nazarene.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Even  so.  Their  leader,  I  hear,  is  a  sort 
of  unwashed  brigand  who  entices  the 
crowds  with  a  rude  kind  of  sorcery  and, 
on  the  pretence  of  preaching  some  new  law 
or  doctrine,  lives  by  plunder  and  surrounds 
himself  with  fellows  capable  of  every- 
thing. .  .  .  Besides,  I  have  other  causes 
to  complain  of  them.  .  .  .  Two  days 
ago,  when  I  was  walking  in  my  gardens, 
under  the  portico  that  divides  them  from 
the  road,  a  dozen  wretches,  belonging  to 
21 


Mary  Magdalene 

that  band,  insulted  me  foully  and  threat- 
ened me  with  stones.  ...  It  is  becom- 
ing intolerable;  and  it  is  time  that  the 
countryside  were  rid  of  them.  .  .  .., 


I  have  heard  about  those  people.  .  .  w 
I  know  that  the  authorities  have  their  eyes 
upon  them.  ...  I  will  have  them 
watched  more  closely.  For  that  matter, 
if  you  wish,  it  would  be  easy  for  me  to 
arrest  their  leader.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Do  so,  I  pray  you,  and  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. ...  I  should  be  especially  grateful 
to  you.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

I  believe  that  you  are  misled.    The  rob- 

22 


Mary  Magdalene 

bers,  in  my  opinion,  must  not  be  looked 
for  there.  I  am  in  a  fairly  good  position 
to  know  the  band,  seeing  that,  for  five  or 
six  days,  it  has  been  gathered  near  my 
house.  I  have  even  had  the  pleasure — for 
everything  turns  to  pleasure  at  my  age — I 
have  even  had  the  pleasure  of  attending 
one  of  their  meetings.  It  was  near  the  old 
road  to  Jericho.  The  leader  was  speaking 
in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  covered  with  dust 
and  rags,  among  whom  I  observed  a  large 
number  of  rather  repulsive  cripples  and 
sick.  They  seem  extremely  ignorant  and 
exalted.  They  are  poor  and  dirty,  but  I 
believe  them  to  be  harmless  and  incapable 
of  stealing  more  than  a  cup  of  water  or 
an  ear  of  wheat.  .  .  .  They  were  listen- 
ing greedily  to  a  more  or  less  silly  anec- 
dote, the  story  of  a  son  who  returns  to  his 
father  after  squandering  his  patrimony. 
...  I  did  not  hear  the  end,  for  they 
23 


Mary  Magdalene 

looked  upon  me  with  a  certain  suspicion. 
...  But  the  Galilean,  or  the  Nazarene, 
as  they  call  him  here,  is  rather  curious; 
and  his  voice  is  of  a  penetrating  and  pecul- 
iar sweetness.  .  .  .  He  appears  to  be 
the  son  of  a  carpenter.  ...  I  will  tell 
you  more  of  him,  I  know  many  interesting 
things  about  him;  but  permit  me  first  to 
go  to  the  other  side  of  the  house,  which 
commands  the  road,  to  see  if  my  belated 
guests  are  not  in  sight.  .  .  . 

(He  GOES  OUT  on  the  left.) 

SCENE   III 

MARY  MAGDALENE,  VERUS 

VERUS 

I  was  not  prepared  for  the  joy  of  seeing 
you  again,  of  your  own  consent,  after  your 
cruel  words.  They  deprived  me  even  of  the 
24 


Mary  Magdalene 

hope  that  is  sometimes  left  to  those  whom 
one  would  drive  to  despair.    .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  was  stupid  and  foolish;  but  reason  has 
returned;  and  I  now  know  that  the  best 
love  is  not  worth  a  tear.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Inasmuch  as  it  is  hardly  the  best,  nor 
even  a  good  love,  as  soon  as  it  causes  tears 
to  be  shed.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
There  is  no  more  best  or  worst  love  for 
me.  Until  lately,  I  lived  among  falsehoods 
by  which  others  profited;  for  the  past  six 
months,  I  have  lived  among  truths  by 
which  I  myself  profit. 

VERUS 

What  do  you  mean  ?  .   ..    . 
25 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
That  I  sell  myself  more  skilfully  and 
dearer  than  before. 

VERUS 

Magdalene!  .  .  .  You  slander  your- 
self! .  ..,  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

You  would  see,  if  your  desire  prompted 
you  to  try  your  fortune,  that,  on  the  con- 
trary, I  rate  myself  very  highly. 

VERUS 

You  will  always  rate  yourself  less  highly 
than  I  do.  You  will  not  succeed  in  de- 
grading yourself  in  my  eyes;  and  I  see  in 
what  you  say  no  more  than  the  just  rebel- 
lion of  a  deeply  wounded  soul  struggling 
against  pain.  .  .  . 

26 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
You  are  wrong:  it  is  not  a  soul  strug- 
gling, but  one  that  is  finding  itself. 

VERUS 

I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it.  However, 
I  would  rather  spite  or  hatred  gave  you  to 
me  than  lose  you  for  the  noblest  of  rea- 
sons ;  and,  as  it  is  a  question  only  of  rating 
you  very  highly,  know,  Magdalene,  that 
from  this  moment  you  are  mine.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

May  be.  ...  But  here  is  our  host 
returning.  We  have  nothing  more  to  say 
to  each  other,  for  the  moment.  .  .  ,. 

(ENTER,  on  the  left,  SILANUS,  AP- 

pius  and  CCELIUS.) 


Mary  Magdalene 

SCENE   IVi 

THE  SAME,  SILANUS,  APPIUS,  CGELIUS 

APPIUS  (going  to  MARY  MAGDALENE)' 
"  Venus  has  left  Cyprus  and  soars  above 
Jerusalem  I "  Or,  rather,  it  is  the  fair 
Techmessa,  who  already  brings  back  the 
smile  to  the  lips  of  the  son  of  Tela- 
monl  .  .  .  Admire,  O  Coelius,  the 
magnificent  image  raised  under  this  por- 
tico by  Love  and  Beauty! 

CCELIUS 

It  is  as  though  the  azure  sky  were  spread 
for  them  between  those  two  columns. 

SILANUS 

The  azure  and  the  light  seem  happy 
Only  when  environing  youth  and  love.  .  .  . 
But,  to  return  to  less  dazzling  images, 


Mary  Magdalene 

better-suited  to  my  head  burdened  with 
years,  I  observed  that  it  must  have  been  a 
sort  of  presentiment  that  urged  us  to  speak, 
but  a  moment  ago,  of  the  Nazarene's  band, 
for  it  was  that  same  band  which  delayed 
our  guests.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

Yes,  imagine,  when  we  approached  the 
last  cross-road  down  there,  we  found  the 
whole  country  in  a  stir  and  the  way  blocked 
by  a  shouting,  gesticulating  throng,  which 
was  crowding  round  a  blind  man  who 
saw!  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Yes,  that  is  one  of  those  phenomena 
which  one  meets  with  nowhere  except  in 
Judaea.  .  ,.  . 

CCELIUS 

It  was  extraordinary !    .    .   ,.    The  poor 
man,  crushed  against  an  old  wall,  rolled 
two  drunk  and  virgin  eyes,  crying,  "He 
29 


Mary  Magdalene 

is  a  prophet!  He  is  a  prophet!  I  see 
men  as  trees,  walking ! "  And  the  crowd 
stamped  all  around  for  joy.  He  seemed 
dazed  with  the  light.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

Or  rather  with  wine,  for  he  was  plainly 
staggering. 

VERUS 

And  the  Nazarene,  did  you  see 
him?  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

No,  he  had  just  gone  away,  taking  with 
him  the  most  turbulent  part  of  the  crowd; 
but  for  that,  we  should  never  have  been 
able  to  pass.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Yes,  it  appears  that,  when  those  ruffians 
crowd  round  their  leader,  they  would  not 
trouble  to  make  way  for  Caesar. 
30 


Mary  Magdalene 

CCELIUS 

Where  did  he  go?  .  .  .  I  should  be 
curious  to  see  him.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

He  cannot  be  very  far.  .  .  .  Do  you 
see  that  laurel-hedge,  at  the  bottom  of  my 
garden?  ...  It  divides  my  little  do- 
main from  the  orchard  of  my  neighbour, 
known  as  Simon  the  Leper.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (starting} 
What,     your     next     neighbour     is     a 
leper?   .    .    .        You    should    have    told 

us.  ...   .    . 

SILANUS 

Be  reassured,  lady,  he  has  no  leprosy 

now.  .    .    . 

APPIUS 

I  thought  that  one  became  a  leper  for 
life,  just  as  one  becomes  a  senator.  .   .    ,; 
31 


Mary  Magdalene 

This  is  another  of  the  surprises  of  this 
monstrous  Judaea.   .    .    . 

SILANUS 
The  Nazarene  healed  him. 

CCELIUS 

Is  he  really  healed?  ...  As  his  next 
neighbour,  you  must  know  the  truth.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

I  know  that  he  is  as  healthy  in  the  face 
as  the  rose  of  Magdala  and  lily  of  Beth- 
any whom  you  see  before  you;  but  I  do 
not  know  if  he  was  ever  sick,  not  having 
seen  him  before  his  recovery.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

I  thought  so.  ...      Besides,  I  have 
seen  much  more  extraordinary  magicians 
in  Thrace  and  Egypt.   .    .    .     But,  to  re- 
turn to  this  leper  without  leprosy,  what 
32 


Mary  Magdalene 

happens  behind  that  hedge    and    in    the 
house  of  your  mysterious  neighbour? 

SlLANUS 

The  Nazarene  has  been  his  guest  for  the 
past  three  days.  This  Simon,  his  sister, 
his  wife  and,  I  believe,  his  brother-in-law 
are  common  people,  who  live  on  the  pro- 
duce of  their  olive-trees.  They  were 
timorous,  peaceable  neighbours;  but,  since 
the  arrival  of  the  Nazarene,  everything 
is  in  commotion.  It  is  a  perpetual  coming 
and  going,  a  perpetual  tumult.  Their 
orchard  is  filled  incessantly  with  a  multi- 
tude of  sick,  of  vagrants,  of  cripples,  is- 
suing from  all  the  rocks  in  Judaea  to  be- 
seech him  whom,  with  loud  cries,  they  call 
the  Saviour  of  the  World,  the  Son  of 
David  and  King  of  the  Jews.  There  are 
sometimes  so  many  of  them  that  they  over- 
flow into  my  garden.  The  hedge,  as  you 
33 


Mary  Magdalene 

see,  has  been  trampled,  crushed  and  even 

torn  in  certain  places.     Fortunately,   the 

Nazarene's  appearances  are  few  and  brief. 

Besides,  this  picturesque  spectacle,  despite 

its  inconveniences,  amuses  and  puzzles  me. 

(ENTER,  on  the  left,  five  or  six  POOR 

FOLK.) 

CCELIUS 

Who  are  those  people? 

SILANUS 

What  did  I  tell  you?  .    .    .   Here  are 
half-a-dozen  coming  to  ask  for  bread.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 
Do  they  belong  to  this  famous  band? 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

They  are  hateful  and  loathsome  I    ... 
One  of  them  has  his  face  gnawed  with  an 
34 


Mary  Magdalene 

ulcer,  another  is  almost  naked,  another  is 
starving!  .    .    . 

APPIUS 

They  certainly  lack  shame,  thus  to  flaunt 
ugliness  and  dread.    .    .    . 

SILANUS 

Do  not  be  uneasy:  these  will  not  long 
mar  the  pleasing  grace  of  the  porticoes 
that  refresh  our  eyes.  My  gardener  has 
discovered  them;  he  is  armed  with  a  stout 
hoe  and  is  driving  them  back  uncivilly. 
.  .  .  You  see,  they  do  not  insist,  they 
walk  away  in  silence,  hanging  their  heads. 
.  .  .  And,  now  that  we  have  occupied 
ourselves  long  enough  with  these  unfortu- 
nate people,  with  their  great  leader  and 
their  maladies,  let  us  think  a  little  of  our- 
selves and  enjoy  the  delightful  after- 
noon which  spring-time  sets  before  us. 
.  .  .  My  pleasure  at  seeing  you  here 
35 


Mary  Magdalene 

would  be  flawless,  if  only  our  old  friend 
Longinus  had  yielded  to  Appius'  entreaties 
and  consented  to  accompany  you.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

I  never  felt  more  keenly  the  vanity  of 
the  great  eloquence  which  he  himself 
taught  me.  To  all  my  most  convincing 
and  well-stated  arguments  he  replied  with 
a  sullen  silence,  or  shook  his  head,  repeat- 
ing that  he  did  not  wish  to  throw  a  gloom 
over  our  happy  party  with  his  dismal  pres- 
ence. .  .  . 

CCELIUS 

And  yet  it  is  quite  three  weeks  since  that 
child    died.   ......     I    should    not    have 

thought  that  grief  could  have  affected  him 
so  much.  .  .  ,. 

APPIUS 

The  more  so  as  it  concerned  a  child  of 
36 


Mary  Magdalene 

tender  years,  whom  her  father  knew  less 
well  than  did  her  nurse !        .    . 


SlLANUS 

There  is  something  more  astonishing 
yet,  which  clearly  shows  that  the  greatest 
wisdom  is  not  so  much  to  know  as  to  con- 
form to  what  one  knows!  .  .  .  When, 
more  than  fifteen  years  ago,  I  lost 
a  little  boy  who  must  have  been  of  about 
the  same  age  as  the  child  whom  he  now 
mourns,  Longlnus  undertook  to  console  me. 
He  wrote  me  an  eloquent  letter,  wherein, 
relying  on  the  authority  of  Metrodorus, 
Panaetius  and  Hermachus,  he  proved  that 
sorrow  is  not  only  useless,  but  ungrateful. 
I  found  and  read  the  letter  again  this 
morning;  and  so  striking  are  its  more  im- 
portant passages  that  I  know  them  almost 
by  heart.  .  .  .  They  were  the  loftiest 
words  that  human  wisdom  could  utter 
37 


Mary  Magdalene 

against  death  and  sorrow.   .    .    .      They 
protected  me  once.   .    .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
What  were  the  words?     It  is  well  to 
know     anything     that    can    relieve    sor- 
row.  .    .    . 

SlLANUS 

"You  expect  consolation,"  he  said; 
"you  shall  receive  only  reproaches.  If 
you  bear  the  death  of  a  child  with  so  little 
patience,  what  would  you  do  if  you  had 
lost  a  friend?  You  ought  to  bring  your- 
self to  this  frame  of  mind,  that  you  were 
more  pleased  at  having  had  him  than 
grieved  that  you  had  him  no  longer.  But 
most  men  reckon  past  advantages  and 
pleasures  as  of  no  account.  They  bury 
friendship  with  their  friend.  .  ..  ." 

APPIUS 

I  recognize  and  hail  the  mighty  wisdom 
of  our  venerable  master. 
38 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

Why  does  he  not  remember  it,  when 
misfortune  strikes  him?  But  why  did  I  for- 
get it  myself,  when  I  needed  it  most?  .  .  . 
"  I  assure  you,"  he  added,  "  that  of  those 
whom  we  have  loved,  much  remains  to 
us  after  death  has  removed  them.  The 
time  that  is  past  is  ours;  and  I  see  nothing 
of  which  we  are  more  certain  than  of 
that  which  has  been.  The  hope  of  the 
future  makes  us  ungrateful  for  the  benefits 
which  we  have  received,  as  though  the 
favours  which  we  expect  were  not  bound 
soon  to  be  ranked  among  things  past. 
Death  has  deprived  you  of  a  son  so  young 
that  he  could  be  of  no  promise  to  you  yet; 
it  is  only  a  little  time  lost.  There  are  in- 
stances without  end  of  fathers  losing  in- 
fant children  without  shedding  a  single 
tear  and  returning  to  the  senate  after 
39 


Mary  Magdalene 

laying  them  in  the!  grave.  This  is  not 
unreasonable;  for,  in  the  first  place,  it  is 
idle  to  give  way  to  grief  when  grief  can 
serve  no  purpose.  And  then  it  is  unjust 
to  complain  of  a  misfortune  that  has  be- 
fallen one  person  and  still  threatens  all  the 
others.  Moreover,  it  is  madness  to  com- 
plain, when  there  is  so  little  distance  be- 
tween the  one  who  is  dead  and  the  one  who 
mourns  him.  Consider  that  all  mankind, 
destined  to  one  and  the  same  end,  is  di- 
vided only  by  little  intervals,  even  when 
they  appear  very  great.  He  whom  you  think 
lost  has  only  gone  before.  Since  we  must 
all  travel  the  same  road,  is  it  not  unworthy 
of  a  wise  man  to  weep  for  one  who  has  set 
out  earlier  than  ourselves?  To  complain 
that  the  friend  or  the  child  is  dead  is  to 
complain  that  he  was  ever  born.  We  are 
all  linked  to  the  same  fate.  He  who  has 
come  into  the  world  must  also  leave  it. 
40 


Mary  Magdalene 

His  stay  may  be  longer,  but  the  end  is  al- 
ways alike.  The  time  that  elapses  between 
the  first  day  and  the  last  is  uncertain  and 
variable.  If  you  consider  the  wretched- 
ness of  life,  it  is  long,  even  for  a  child;  if 
you  regard  the  duration,  it  is  short,  even 
for  an  old  man." 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
That  would  not  have  consoled  me.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

To  console,  lady,  is  not  to  do  away  with 
sorrow,  but  to  teach  one  how  to  overcome 
it 

(At  this  moment,  there  is  heard  rising 
from  the  roads,  the  paths  and  all 
the  invisible  country  commanded  by 
the  terrace  a  noise,  at  first  dull  and 
confused,  which  gradually  becomes 
more  positive  and  precise.  Sounds 
41 


Mary  Magdalene 

of  a  crowd,  forming  and  hurrying, 
stones  rolling,  children  crying,  dogs 
barking;  shouts  that  grow  more  and 
more  distinct:  "  This  way!  This 
way!  .  .  .  Come  quickly!  .  .  ., 
Come  down!  .  .  .  To  the  right, 
to  the  right!  .  .  .  He  is  there! 
.  .  .  We  saw  him!  .  .  .  He 
is  leaving  the  house!  .  .  .  To 
Simon's  orchard!  .  .  .  Carry  the, 
palsied  there!  .  ...  Lead  the 
blind!  .  .  .  Quick,  quickt  this 
way!  .  .  .  They  say  he  is  going 
to  speak!"  etc.) 

APPIUS 
What  is  this?  What  is  happening?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

They  are  hurrying  from  every  side!  .  .  . 

43 


Mary  Magdalene 

CCELIUS 

All  the  roads  are  covered  with  people 
running  like  madmen!   .    .    . 

APPIUS 

They     seem     to     spring     from     the 
stones!    .    .    . 

CCELIUS 

But  what  is  happening?  .  .  .     They  are 
disappearing  behind  those  olive-trees.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Here   come  two  sick  men   carried  on 
their  beds.    .    .    . 

CCELIUS 
A  blind  man  falling!  .   .  . 

APPIUS 

What  is  the  matter  with  them?   .    .    . 
Are  they  mad?  .   .   . 
43 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

Who  are  those  extraordinary  creatures 
leaping  among  the  rocks?   .    .    . 

SILANUS 

They  are  the  men  possessed  by  devils, 
coming  out  of  the  tombs.  .   .   . 

APPIUS 
But,  after  all,  what  is  happening?  .   .   . 

SILANUS 
They  have  seen  the  Nazarene.   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
The    Nazarene?   .    .    .       Where     is 

he?  ... 

SILANUS 

He    has   probably   just    come    out    of 
Simon's  house.    They  watch  all  his  move- 
ments.   As  soon  as  he  is  seen,  they  bring 
the  sick;  and  the  fanatics  come  rushing 
44 


Mary  Magdalene 

up.  .  .  .  He  must  be  walking  in  the 
neighbouring  orchard.  .  .  .  (Listening.) 
Yes.  .  .  .  Do  you  hear  the  crowd  hum- 
ming like  bees?  ...  It  is  close  to  my 
laurel-hedge.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 
Let  us  go  and  see.  .   .  . 

SILANUS 

I  do  not  advise  you  to.  In  the  first 
place,  those  people  are  mostly  very  poor, 
extremely  dirty  and  very  unpleasant  to 
come  into  touch  with.  .  .  .  Then,  you 
know  the  Jewish  fanaticism.  ...  In 
these  moments  of  exaltation,  the  most  in- 
offensive become  dangerous;  and  the  sight 
of  the  Roman  toga  and  arms  enrages  them 
strangely.  .  .  .  Besides,  we  shall  hear 
what  happens  quite  well  from  where  we 
stand.  .  .  .  Listen!  .  .  .  The  cries 
are  coming  nearer  still  and  increasing.  .  .  . 
45 


Mary  Magdalene 

(Behind  the   hedge   that   closes   the 

end  of  the  garden  rise  cries  that 

sound  nearer  and  nearer:  "  Hosan- 

nahf     Hosannah!   .    .    .     Son  of 

Man!  .    .    .      Lord,  Lord,  have 

pity!    Lord,  Son  of  David,  heal  the 

sick  man!  .  .  .    Master!   Master! 

Lord!  .    .    .     Jesus  of  Nazareth, 

have  pity  on  me!    .    .    .     Make 

way!  .   .   .     Silence,  silence!  .   .   . 

He  is  going  to  speak!"    At  these 

words,    the    tumult    suddenly    sub- 

sides.     An  incomparable  silence,  in 

which  it  seems  as  though  the  birds 

and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  and  the 

very  air  that  is  breathed  take  part, 

falls     with     all    its     supernatural 

weight  upon  the  countryside;  and, 

in  this  silence,  which  weighs  upon 

people  on   the  terrace  also,   there 

rises,  absolute  sovereign  of  space 

46 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  the  hour,  a  wonderful  'voice, 
soft  and  all-powerful,  intoxicated 
with  ardour,  light  and  love,  distant 
and  yet  near  to  every  heart  and 
present  in  every  soul.} 

THE  VOICE 

Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven !  .  .  .  Blessed 
are  they  that  mourn,  for  they  shall  be  com- 
forted! .  .  .  Blessed  are  the  meek,  for 
they  shall  inherit  the  earth!  .  .  . 

APPIUS 
What  is  he  saying?  .    .   . 

SILANUS 
Listen  1  ...     It  is  rather  curious.  .  .  . 

THE  VOICE 

Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness,   for  they  shall 
47 


Mary  Magdalene 

be  filled!   .    .    .     Blessed  are  the  merci- 
ful, for  they  shall  obtain  mercy  I   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  want  to  see!  .  .  .  (She  rises  and, 
as  though  irresistibly  drawn  by  the  divine 
voice,  goes  as  if  to  descend  the  steps  of  the 
terrace  and  to  make  for.  the  bottom  of  the 
garden.) 

SILANUS   (in  a  low  voice,  trying  to 

hold  her  back)\ 
Do  not  go  there !  .  .  .. 

THE  VOICE 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God!  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE. 
I  will  go !  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  shall  go  with  you.  .  .  . 
48 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (fiercely, 
ously) 

No !  Nobody !  .  .  .  Let  me  be !  .  .  .. 
(She  goes  down  towards  the  hedge,  as 
though  fascinated.) 

THE  VOICE 

Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they 
shall  be  called  the  children  of  God !  .  .  . 
Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake,  for  theirs  is  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  I  ... 

VERUS 
Where  is  she  going    ,.  .  . 

APPIUS 

What  is  she  doing?  .  .  .  She  is 
mad !  .  .  .  She  is  trying  to  pass  through 
the  hedge !  .  .  . 

49 


Mary  Magdalene 

THE  VOICE 

Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile 
you  and  persecute  you !  .  .  .  Rejoice  and 
be  exceeding  glad,  for  great  is  your  re- 
ward in  heaven!  .  .  . 

VERUS 

She  has  opened  the  gate  of  the  gar- 
den! .  .  .  She  is  in  the  orchard!  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

Women  sometimes  have  thoughts  which 
wise  men  do  not  understand.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  shall  go  and  join  her;  and,  if  I  have 
to  protect  her  against  those  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

Do  no  such  thing.    .    .    .     They  are 
listening  to  the  voice  and  will  not  perceive 
her  presence,  whereas  the  sight  and  sound 
50 


Mary  Magdalene 

of  your  arms   .    .    .   Listen,  listen  to  what 
he  is  saying :  it  is  rather  singular.    ... 

THE  VOICE 

But  I  say  unto  you,  Love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them 
that  hate  you  and  pray  for  them  which  de- 
spitefully  use  you !  .  .  . 

(At  that  moment,  cries,  at  frst  scat- 
tered, rise  among  the  invisible 
crowd  behind  the  hedge.  A  few 
words  are  distinguishable:  "It  is 
the  Roman  woman!  The  Roman 
woman!  .  .  .  The  adulter- 
ess! .  .  / .  Shame!  .  .  .  Shame! 
Shame!  .  . ,..  'Magdalene!  .  .  . 
The  strumpet!  .  .  .  Drive  her 
away,  drive  her  away !  ..."  Im- 
mediately afterwards,  these  cries 
are  lost  in  a  violent  and  formidable 
shout  of  reprobation,  in  which  onlyA 


Mary  Magdalene 

a  few  resounding  words  are, 
with  difficulty,  perceived:  "Shame! 
Shame!  .  .  .  Stone  her!  Stone 
her!  .  .  .  Death!  Death!  .  .  . 
Stone  her!"  etc.  All  this  is  accom- 
panied by  a  noise  of  flight,  of  hurry- 
ing footsteps,  of  sticks  and  pebbles 
clashing,  of  broken  branches,  etc.} 

SILANUS. 
They  have  seen  her  1  ... 

VERUS 

But  what  is  happening?    ...     Is  it 
she  whom  they  are  attacking  ?  .   .  . 

SILANUS 

It  is  what  I  feared.   .    .    .     We  must 
take  care  .  .  . 

VERUS  (rushing  to  the  bottom  of  the 

garden) 

This  way!   .    .    .     Follow  me!   .    .    . 
Appius,  Ccelius,  your  swords  1  ... 
53 


Mary  Magdalene 

(At  the  moment  when  he  rushes  down, 
the  laurel-hedge  is  burst  through  In 
every  part  by  the  yelling  and  ges- 
ticulating crowd  pursuing   MARY 
MAGDALENE.    She  makes  a  fren- 
zied attempt  to  reach  the  terrace. 
VERUS  and  his  two  friends  run  to- 
wards  her,  to  try  to  protect  her 
against    the     invading     multitude. 
Stones    fly.    VERUS,    standing    in 
front  of  the  others,  brandishes  his 
bare    sword.     Just    as    the   fight- 
ing is  about  to  begin,  when  already 
branches  are  broken,  a  statue  over- 
turned  and   so   forth,   suddenly   a 
loud  call  of  the  supernatural  voice 
rings  under  the  nearer  olive-trees. 
All  cease,  struck  with  stupor.    A 
word  of  command  is  passed  from 
mouth   to   mouth:   "Silence!     Si- 
lence! .  .  .    Listen!   Listen!  .  .  .. 
53 


Mary  Magdalene 

He  is  speaking!  He  is  going  to 
speak!  .  .  .  The  Master  has 
made  a  sign!  .  .  .  Listen!  Lis- 
ten! ..."  Then,  In  the  silence 
thus  suddenly  produced,  the  divine 
voice  rises,  calm,  august,  profound 
and  irresistible.} 

THE  VOICE 

He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let 
him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her !  .   .   . 

(  The  stones  are  heard  to  drop  to  the 
ground.     The  crowd  sways  to  and 
fro,  abashed,  and  disappears  gradu- 
ally, in  silence,  through  the  hedge. 
VERUS  comes  forward  to  support 
MARY     MAGDALENE,     who     has 
stopped  and  is  standing  erect  and 
motionless   in   the   middle   of   the 
walk.     She   rejects    the   proffered 
54 


Mary  Magdalene 

aid,  with  a  harsh  and  fierce  gesture, 

and,  staring  in  front  of  her,  alone 

among  the  others,  who  look  at  her 

without  understanding,  slowly  she 

climbs  the  steps  of  the  terrace.) 

CURTAIN 


55 


ACT  II 


ACT  II 

(  The  Tablinttm  [or  large  room  behind  the 
Atrium]  of  MARY  MAGDALENE'S 
villa  at  Bethany.  At  the  back,  lead- 
ing one  into  the  other,  the  Atrium  and 
a  long  vestibule  with  marble  col- 
umns.) 

SCENE  I 

MARY  MAGDALENE,  Lucius  VERUS 
(ENTER    Lucius    VERUS.      MARY 
MAGDALENE  runs  up  to  him  and 
throws  herself  into  his  arms.) 

MARY  MAGDALENE. 

You   at  last,  my  Verus!   .    .    .      For 

three  days  I  have  awaited  you,  for  three 

days  I  have  called  you.     Men  grant  me 

my  beauty  when  its  triumph  brings  me  noth- 

59 


Mary  Magdalene 

ing  but  regret  and  disgust.  And  I  ask  my- 
self, is  that  beauty  really  powerless  when, 
at  last,  there  is  a  question  of  the  happiness 
which  every  woman  has  the  right  to  ex- 
pect in  her  life?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  know  not  if  I  shall  be  able  to  give 
you  the  happiness  that  Is  your  due,  Mag- 
dalene; but  be  assured  that  your  beauty 
never  gained  a  more  complete  victory.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
What  care  I  now  for  its  victory!  .  .  ., 
It  is  I  who  am  vanquished,  utterly  van- 
quished beforehand,  without  daring  to  con- 
fess it  to  myself,  without  being  able  to  hide 
it  from  my  indifference,  so  odiously  ac- 
quired, or  from  my  vanity,  which  has  never 
been  more  than  the  shameful  crown  of  my 
shame  I  ...  But  why  keep  me  waiting 
so  long?  ....  I  thought  that  everything 
60 


Mary  Magdalene 

was  abandoning  me,  that  all  was  lost  be- 
cause of  the  dreadful  words  which  I  spoke 
at  our  good  Silanus'  and  which  were  not 
true,  which  were  only  a  profounder  lie 
then  my  other  lies,  because  I  was  mad, 
because  I  did  not  know,  because  I  did 
not  wish  for  an  impossible  happiness.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

You  well  know,  Magdalene,  that  I  never 
believed   you   fhe    woman   you    depicted. 
.    .    .      But  now  neither  do  I  dare  be- 
lieve  in   the   happiness   that    approaches. 
...     I  am  quite  dazzled,  I  doubt,  I 
grope  in  the  dark.  ...     I  do  not  recog- 
nize the  voice  that  has  so  often  and  so 
harshly  repelled  me. 

MARY     MAGDALENE     (in    VERUS' 

arms  ) 

It  is  not  the  same  voice,  it  is  not  the 
same  soul.  .    .    . 

61 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

And  yet  it  is  really  you  whom  I  hold 
in  my  arms,  it  is  every  parcel  of  you  whom 
I  have  implored  so  long  1  ...  I  ask  my- 
self still  if  all  is  indeed  real,  if  all  is  in- 
deed possible,  if  you  are  not  trifling  with 
a  too-credulous  happiness  which  you  will 
fling  aside  among  all  those  which  beauty 
shatters  when  testing  its  power.  .  .  . 
But  no,  when  I  question,  when  I  follow 
your  eyes  that  plunge  into  mine,  I  see 
that  it  is  indeed  true,  that  it  was  always 
true.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Yes,  yes,  it  is  true,  it  is  true  and  it 

was    always   true.    ...       I    did    not 

know  it,  I  searched  my  heart  in  vain  and 

I  was  ignorant  of  all  my  feelings  until  these 

days  of  anguish.  ...     I  refused  to  see 

that  you  were  coming  towards  me  and 

63 


Mary  Magdalene 

that  everything  was  awaiting  you.  .  .  . 
And  yet  I  ought  to  have  known  it.  ... 
Already,  at  Antioch,  do  you  remember, 
Verus,  how  I  avoided  you?  ...  I  re- 
ceived so  many  others;  and  you  alone,  the 
comeliest,  the  purest,  I  tried  to  ignore,  to 
blot  out,  to  destroy.  ...  As  soon  as 
you  appeared,  I  withdrew,  like  a  shy  and 
distrustful  animal,  to  my  lair;  and,  only 
the  other  day,  at  our  good  Silanus',  I  felt 
all  the  -evil,  all  the  cruelty,  or  all  the 
despair  that  fills  my  heart  rise  to  my  lips. 
.  .  .  But,  to-day,  I  see ;  I  am  no  longer  the 
same;  I  no  longer  know  myself,  because  I 
am  myself  once  more.  .  .  .  All  that  used 
to  resist  is  broken  within  my  soul.  ...  I 
no  longer  understand  myself  and  I  did  not 
know  that  happiness  is  so  strange  a  thing. 
i.  .  .  I,  who  never  wept  in  my  worst  mo- 
ments of  distress,  am  sobbing  to-day  when 
happiness  awaits  me.  ...  I  am  glad 
63 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  light-hearted  and  yet  more  shattered 
than  if  all  the  misfortunes  that  hover  in 
the  skies  were  about  to  burst  over  me.  .  .  . 
(Embracing  him  more  passionately  ) 
Help  me,  my  Verus,  help  me,  support  me, 
you  whom  nothing  threatens,  you  who 
have  nothing  to  fear!  .  .  ... 

VERUS 

But  what  has  happened?    Can  any  one 
have  dared,  in  my  absence   .    .    .  ? 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

No,  no,  nobody;  and  it  is  not  that;  and 
I  myself  do  not  know  the  danger  that 
surrounds  me.  .  .  .  But  I  have  no  other 
shelter  than  your  arms;  and  I  feel  myself 
lost  if  I  lose  you  too.  .  .  .  Take  me, 
bear  me  away  on  that  heart  to  which  I  am 
listening,  far  from  myself,  far  from  this 
place  and  from  my  anxiety.  .  .  .  You 
alone  can  save  me  and  I  have  no  life  but 
64 


Mary  Magdalene 

that  which  you  give  me.  .  .  .  But  why 
did  you  forsake  me  so  long  in  my  tears, 
why  did  you  not  come  until  after  the  third 
day,  abandoning  me  thus,  without  a  word 
of  pity,  without  a  sign  of  hope?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

You  are  mistaken,  Magdalene,  or  else 
your  slaves  did  not  acquaint  you  with  the 
truth.  .  .  .  The  very  day  after  our  meet- 
ing at  Silanus',  I  came  to  Bethany  to  tell 
you  that,  by  order  of  the  Procurator,  I 
was  suddenly  sent,  at  the  head  of  a  co- 
hort, to  suppress  a  curious  riot  that  had 
broken  out  near  Jericho.  The  slaves  who 
keep  your  door  would  not  allow  me  to 
approach  you  and  replied  to  me  in  such 
a  way  that  I  dared  not  well  insist.  .  .  . 
I  understood  that  they  were  obeying  orders 
so  precise  and  so  stern  that  I  must  not  try 
to  thwart  them.  .  .  . 
60 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

It  is  true.  ...  I  forgot.  ...  I  was 
mad  and  worn  out,  incapable  of  seeing, 
willing  or  hearing.  ...  I  was  not  yet 
awake.  ...  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  was 
still  struggling  amid  the  hideous  crowd 
in  Simon's  garden,  where  I  called  in  vain 
upon  him  who  had  delivered  me.  .  .  . 
He  was  abandoning  me,  he  too.  ...  I 
sent  in  search  of  him  to  no  purpose.  No 
one  could  tell  me  where  he  was  hid- 
ing. .  .  .  Have  you  not  seen  him 
since  ?  .  .  .  Do  you  not  know  where  he 
is?  ... 

VERUS 
.Who? 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

The  Nazarene.  .   .   . 
66 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

Let  us  not  speak  of  that  wretched  man : 
his  hours  are  numbered.  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
His  hours  are  numbered?  .   .   .     What 
do  you  mean?  .    .    . 

VERUS 

No  matter:  that  does  not  interest  us 
now  and  soon  we  shall  know  nothing  of 
aught  that  does  not  touch  our  love;  for 
it  is  wonderful  to  see  how  the  thoughts 
of  those  who  love  each  other  meet  and 
unite  in  spite  of  the  'distance  and  of  the 
ill-natured  speeches  that  come  between 
them.  Is  it  not  astonishing  that,  after 
leaving  you  at  Silanus',  where  I  had  heard 
words  that  should  have  deprived  me  of 
all  hope,  I  for  the  first  time  felt  our  young 
happiness  swell  and  blossom  in  all  its 
67 


Mary  Magdalene 

strength  and  all  its  certainty?  .  .  .  While 
you  were  calling  me,  I  called  you  also  with 
all  the  deep  and  wonderful  voices  of  my 
heart.  I  was  kept  far  from  you  by  a  duty 
unworthy  of  a  soldier;  for  that  expedition 
to  Jericho,  the  last,  I  trust,  upon  which 
I  shall  be  sent,  was  almost  odious  and  often 
ridiculous.  I  counted  with  rage  the  minutes 
stolen  from  our  new  life,  which  was  al- 
ready beginning  in  a  soul  that  feared  none 
of  my  reasons  for  fearing.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

It  will  not  really  begin  until  we  are  far 
from  this  land  where  I  suffocate,  where 
everything  darkens  and  threatens  happi- 
ness, where  I  can  no  longer  live.  .  .  . 
Verus,  I  beseech  you,  if  ypu  love  me  as  I 
love  you,  let  us  hasten,  let  us  leave  every- 
thing; there  is  no  time  to  lose.  .  .  . 
68 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

You  are  right:  a  joy  so  long  awaited 
must  not  be  born  among  these  sinister 
rocks,  where  floats  an  odour  of  death  and 
madness.  .  .  .  And  yet,  even  here,  our 
thoughts  came  to  an  understanding  long 
before  our  words.  .  .  .  Like  you,  I  have 
resolved  to  leave  this  hated  city,  where 
really  my  obedience  is  abused.  ...  I 
am  at  the  orders  of  the  Procurator,  but 
not  at  the  venomous  service  of  the  Jewish 
priests,  nor  of  the  clamorous  and  perfidious 
nation  whom  my  old  legionaries  have  con- 
quered. I  have  had  enough  of  this  am- 
biguous life.  Before  to-night,  I  shall  find 
a  pretext  for  evading  an  order  which  I 
was  to  execute  this  very  day,  an  order  of 
which  I  but  too  well  know  the  origin.  .  .  . 
If  the  pretext  appear  insufficient,  let  Caia- 
phas  and  Annas  go  and  complain  to  Cse- 
69 


Mary  Magdalene 

sar.  .  .  .  Nothing  counts  in  the  presence 
of  our  love;  and  the  inglorious  errand 
which  they  claim  the  right  to  impose  upon 
me  repels  me  all  the  more  inasmuch  as  it 
was  to  be  accomplished,  so  to  speak,  be- 
fore your  eyes.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Before  my  eyes?   ...     Of  what  are 
you  speaking?  .   .   . 

VERUS 

Nothing  that  interests  you;  let  us  think 
only  of  our  happy  escape.  .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

I    know    that    some    danger    threatens 

him.  .   .   . 

VERUS 

Whom  do  you  mean  ?  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
It  is  impossible,  after  what  he  has  done, 
70 


Mary  Magdalene 

that  you  should  become  the  instrument  of 
his  worst  enemies.  .  .  .  You  owe  him 
my  life  and  perhaps  our  happiness.  .  .  . 
What  do  they  want  with  him?  What  or- 
ders have  you  received?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  am  charged  to  arrest  him  before  this 
evening,  together  with  the  principal  leaders 
of  his  band.  It  is  a  vulgar  constabulary 
measure,  directed  against  sick  men  and  va- 
grants, of  a  kind  that  has  never  yet  been  ex- 
acted of  the  legionaries.  ...  It  shall  not 
take  place;  do  not  let  us  speak  of  it.  .  .  ., 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

But  why  arrest  him?  What  has  he 
done?  What  is  he  accused  of  ?.  .  .  He 
is  innocent,  I  know;  besides,  one  need  but 
see  him  to  understand.  .  .  .  He  brings 
a  happiness  that  was  not  known  before; 
71 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  all  those  who  come  near  him  are 
happy,  it  seems,  like  children  at  their  awak- 
ing. ...  I  myself,  who  only  caught  a 
glimpse  of  him  among  the  olive-trees,  felt 
that  gladness  was  rising  in  my  soul  like  a 
sort  of  light  that  overtook  my  thoughts. 
.  .  .  He  fixed  his  eyes  for  but  a  moment 
on  mine;  and  that  will  be  enough  for  the 
rest  of  my  life.  ...  I  knew  that  he  rec- 
ognized me  without  ever  having  seen  me 
and  I  knew  that  he  wished  to  see  me  again. 
i.  .  .  He  seemed  to  choose  me  gravely, 
absolutely,  for  ever.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

What  does  this  mean?  Are  you  speak- 
ing of  him?  What  happened?  ..  .  . 
Have  you  seen  him  again?  ...  I  was 
told,  for  that  matter,  that  he  is  an  intri- 
guer, ready  for  everything;  but  I  should 
never  have  believed  that  he  would  have 
dared  .  .  . 

73 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

He  has  dared  nothing.   ...     I  have 

not  seen  him  again,  I  shall  never  see  him 

again,   now  that  we  are   about  to  leave 

everything,  to  be  only  we  two  alone.  .   .   . 

VERUS   (clasping  her  more  closely} 

To  be  one  alone,  Magdalene,  in  a  hap- 
pkr  land,  where  everything  encourages 
happiness,  smiles  upon  lovers  and  blesses 
beauty.  .  .  . 

MARY   MAGDALENE    (bursting  into 
convulsive  sobs  on  VERUS'  breast ) 
I  love  you.  ...     I  know  it.  ,.   .   . 

VERUS 

Come,  I  know  these  tears  that  well  at 

the  same  moment  from  our  two  hearts  in 

our  one  joy.  .   .   .    But  here,  between  the 

columns  of  the  vestibule,  come  the  greatest 

73 


Mary  Magdalene 

ornaments  of  that  beautiful  Rome  which 
we  shall  soon  astonish  with  our  love.  .  .  . 
I  am  right:  it  is  our  good  Silanus,  accom- 
panied by  the  faithful  Appius;  led  by  the 
immortal  gods,  they  descend  the  marble 
steps  to  hallow  with  their  fraternal  pres- 
ence the  first  smiles  of  a  happiness  born 
under  their  eyes.  .  .  . 


SILANUS 

It  was  said  and  it  was  written  that,  on 
this  most  propitious  day,  I  should  behold 
two  marvels,  not  the  lesser  of  which  is  to 
see  thus  promptly  reunited  two  lovers  who, 
according  to  love's -ancient  custom,  should 
have  fled  from  each  other  the  more  obsti- 
nately the  more  they  yearned  to  meet.  .  .  . 
74 


Mary  Magdalene 

APPIUS 

By  Metrodorus,  Hermachus  and  Zeno, 
there  are  other  things  on  hand  than  the 
too-long-expected  happiness  of  two  lovers 
cutting  short  their  quarrels!  .  .  .  Tell 
them  at  once  what  has  happened;  shout  it 
to  them,  with  all  your  throat  and  all  your 
soul :  death  no  longer  exists !  The  graves 
are  about  to  open,  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
to  show  themselves;  the  gods  are  shaken, 
all  the  laws  of  life  are  overturned!  .  .  . 
We  have  just  admired  an  unequalled,  un- 
speakable, unheard-of  phenomenon,  that 
has  never  been  seen  since  light  first  rose 
upon  the  world,  that  will  not  be  seen  again 
before  the  death  of  the  gods !  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

The  more  extraordinary  it  seems  to  you, 
Appius,  the  less  should  it  trouble  the  per- 

75 


Mary  Magdalene 

feet  composure  of  your  soul,  considering 
that  a  phenomenon  that  will  not  be  seen 
again  could  not  well  shake  the  laws  of  the 
universe  nor  the  stability  of  the  gods! 

VERUS 

But  what  has  happened?  Appius  seems 
to  be  the  victim  of  a  greater  exaltation  than 
usual;  and  you  yourself,  my  worthy  mas- 
ter, despite  your  even  mind  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

I  will  tell  you  what  has  happened:  he 
has  brought  a  dead  man  to  life !  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Who?  .  .  . 

SlLANUS 

The  Nazarene,  whose   return   I  have 
come  to  announce  to  you,  as  I  promised. 
76 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
He    has    come    back?      Since     when? 
Where    is    he?    ...     Have    you    seen 
him?  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

To  reply  to  your  questions  in  order,  lady, 
I  will  tell  you  that  he  returned  this  morn- 
ing, that  I  saw  him  with  my  eyes  and  that, 
at  this  moment,  he  is  with  my  neighbour 
Simon  the  Leper.  I  am  surprised,  how- 
ever, that  the  absolute  frenzy  which  has 
shaken  the  country  for  two  or  three  hours 
has  not  yet  spread  as  far  as  here.  It  is 
true  that  your  dwelling  is  separated  by  a 
high  hill  and  some  olive-woods  from  the 
spot  where  the  sepulchre  lies  hidden. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  have  heard  nothing,  learned  nothing. 
...     In  spite  of  my  orders,  no  one  has 
77 


Mary  Magdalene 

told  me.  .  ,.  .  But,  after  all,  what  has 
happened?  .  .  .  Appius  is  as  pale  as  a 
ghost.  .  .  .  What  is  it?  What  has  he 
said,  what  has  he  done  ?  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

He  has  done  a  thing  which  no  man,  no 
god,  has  done  before  him;  a  thing  which 
I  would  not  have  believed  if  ten  thousand 
witnesses  had  come  to  swear  it  in  the  name 
of  the  immortals,  but  in  which  I  believe  as 
firmly  as  I  am  bound  to  believe  in  my  own 
existence,  having  seen  it  with  my  eyes,  as 
I, see  you  now,  and  almost  touched  it  with 
my  hands,  as  I  touch  this  vase.  He  said, 
"  Rise,  come  forth  and  walk."  And  the 
dead  man  rose,  came  forth  and  began  to 
walk  among  us  I 

VERUS 

It  was  apparently  a  dead  man  whose 
health  left  nothing  to  be  wished  for?  .  .  . 
78 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

No,  I  am  convinced  that  it  was  really  a 
dead  man. 

APPIUS 

It  was  a  real,  a  terrible  dead  man !  .  .  . 
If  not,  my  senses  can  no  longer  declare  that 
the  sun  shines  in  the  blue  or  that  human 
flesh  decays!  .  .  .  He  had  been  four 
days  in  the  grave!  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
But  who?     How?    Where?  .  .  .    And 
the  Nazarene?  ...     I  want  to  know.  .  .  . 
Speak  for  him,  Silanus:    he  has  not  yet 
recovered  his  senses.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

Here,  in  a  few  words,  is  what  happened. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  right  that  I  should  tell 
you  that  I  do  not  entirely  share  Appius' 
79 


Mary  Magdalene 

amazement.  It  should  astonish  us  no 
more  to  see  a  man  return  to  life  than  to  see 
a  child  come  to  life  or  an  old  man  leave 
it.  (MAGDALENE  makes  a  movement  of 
impatience.}  But  I  understand  your  im- 
patience. I  spoke  to  you  the  other  day  of 
my  neighbour  Simon.  He  lives  in  the  little 
house  that  touches  my  property,  with  his 
wife,  his  sister-in-law  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  named  Lazarus.  This  Lazarus,  whom 
I  saw  only  two  or  three  times,  for  he  was 
often  away  from  home,  had  been  ailing 
for  some  weeks  and  died  four  days  ago. . . . 

APPIUS 

Four  days,  do  you  understand?   .    .    .- 
That  is  what  nobody  would  dare  deny. . . . 

SILANUS 

Nor  does  any  one  think  of  doing  so,  Ap- 
pius.    They  were  a  very  united  family; 
80 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  the  sorrow  of  those  poor  people  was 
great.  From  my  terrace,  I  could  hear  the 
lamentations  of  the  women.  According 
to  the  custom  of  the  Jews,  Lazarus  was 
buried  on  the  night  that  followed  after 
his  death.  They  laid  him  in  a  new  grave, 
dug  in  the  rocks  that  form  the  other  side 
of  that  hill,  and  closed  the  grave  with 
an  enormous  stone.  This  morning,  sud- 
denly, the  rumour  spread  that  the  Naza- 
rene  had  returned  and  that  he  was  going 
to  restore  to  life  the  dead  man,  who  was 
his  friend.  Appius,  who  was  at  my 
house,  persuaded  me  to  go  down  with 
him;  and  we  followed  the  crowd  into  the 
valley  of  the  tombs. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

I  knew  that  he  was  to  return  to-day; 
but  why  did  you  not  send  word  to  me  at 
once,  as  you  promised?   .    .    . 
81 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

It  seemed  to  me  that  the  spectacle  at 
hand  was  not  one  of  those  on  which  the 
eyes  of  a  woman  in  the  hour  of  her  beauty 
love  to  rest.  Moreover,  there  was  cause 
to  fear  lest  your  arrival  among  the  ex- 
cited crowd  should  cause  a  repetition  of 
the  violence  of  the  other  day.  For  an 
enormous  crowd,  silent,  but  quivering  like 
a  swarm  of  bees,  escorted  the  Nazarene,  in 
front  of  whom  walked  the  two  sisters  of 
Lazarus.  We,  Appius  and  I,  climbed  on 
to  a  block  of  stone  hidden  behind  some 
bushes,  whence  we  could  see  and  hear 
everything  without  arousing  the  suspicion 
of  the  Jews.  They  showed  the  grave  to 
the  Nazarene,  who  stopped  and  lowered 
his  head. 

APPIUS 

He    wept.     They    whispered    in    the 
82 


Mary  Magdalene 

crowd,  "  Behold  how  he  loved  him!  "  But 
nobody  dared  approach.  They  formed  a 
circle  at  a  distance,  as  though  round  a 
dread  being.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

'"Take  ye  away  the  stone,"  said  the 
Nazarene;  and  two  men  stepped  toward 
the  grave. 

APPIUS 

You  forget  that,  at  that  moment,  one 
of  the  sisters  of  the  dead  man,  alarmed 
and  all  in  tears,  seized  the  Nazarene  by 
the  arm  and  said,  "Lord,  by  this  time 
he  stinketh;  for  he  hath  been  dead  four 
days."  The  Nazarene  answered — I  have 
not  forgotten  a  single  one  of  his  words — 
"Said  I  not  unto  thee  that,  if  thou 
wouldest  believe,  thou  shouldest  see  the 
glory  of  God?  Take  ye  away  the  stone." 
83 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Who  is  this  sister  of  Lazarus?    Is  she 
Simon's  wife? 

SlLANUS 

No,  it  is  the  other  one:  her  name  is 
Mary  and,  when  the  Nazarene  stays  at 
Bethany,  she  never  leaves  him. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Is  she  young? 

SlLANUS 
She  is  younger  than  Simon's  wife. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Have  you   seen  her?    Do  you  know 
her?  .   .   . 

SlLANUS 

I  have  spoken  to  her  more  than  once. 
But  to  return  to  the  stone,  which  was  enor- 
84 


Mary  Magdalene 

mous,  flat  and  fastened  into  the  walls  of 
the  cave:  two  men  attacked  it  with  levers. 
It  resisted  at  first  and  then,  suddenly,  fell 
down  all  of  a  piece.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

We  were  quite  close,  hanging  aslant 
over  the  cave.  By  all  the  gods  who  from, 
heaven  rule  the  earth  and  men,  I  swear 
that,  at  that  moment,  I  felt  the  terrible 
breath  of  the  dead  man  strike  me  in  the 
face!  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Did  you  see  the  dead  man?  .   .   . 

APPIUS 
As  I  see  you  now,  lady !  .   .   . 

VERUS 

I  do  not  understand  how  you  can  seri- 
85 


Mary  Magdalene 

ously  interest  yourselves  in  these  things 
which  happen  in  an  incongruous,  mad 
world,  where  all  is  witchcraft,  coarse  illu- 
sions and  barbarous  lies.  .  .  .. 

APPIUS 

By  Hades  and  Persephone,  what  my 
senses  perceived  was  no  illusion,  I  assure 
you!  .  .  .  We  nearly  fell  from  our 
rock!  .  .  .  The  corpse  was  there,  in  the 
greedy  light  that  devoured  the  cave,  lying 
like  a  stiff  and  shapeless  statue,  closely 
bound  in  grave-clothes,  the  face  covered 
with  a  napkin.  The  crowd,  heaped  up  in 
a  semicircle,  irresistibly  attracted  and  re- 
pelled, leaned  forward,  stretched  its  thou- 
sand necks,  without  daring  to  approach. 
The  Nazarene  stood  alone,  in  front.  He 
raised  his  hand,  spoke  a  few  words  which 
I  did  not  catch  and  then,  addressing  the 
corpse  in  a  voice  whose  pent-up  force  I 
86 


Mary  Magdalene 

shall   never   forget,   he   cried,    "  Lazarus, 
come  forth ! " 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Did  he  come  forth?  .    .    . 

APPIUS 

We  heard  only  the  sound  of  the  wind 
moving  the  garments  of  the  multitude  and 
the  buzzing  of  the  flies  that  swarmed  into 
the  grave.  All  eyes  were  so  firmly  fixed 
upon  the  corpse  that  I  saw,  so  to  speak, 
their  motionless  beams,  as  one  sees  the 
sunbeams  in  a  dark  room.  .  .  .  Sud- 
denly, it  became  plain,  terrifying,  super- 
human! The  dead  man,  obeying  the  or- 
der, slowly  bent  in  two;  then,  snapping 
the  bandages  that  fastened  his  legs,  he 
stood  up  erect,  like  a  stone,  all  white,  with 
his  arms  bound  and  his  head  veiled.  With 
small,  almost  impossible  steps,  guided  by 
87 


Mary  Magdalene 

the  light,  he  came  forth  from  the  grave. 
The  affrighted  crowd  gradually  fell  back, 
without  being  able  to  turn  away  its  gaze. 
"Loose  him  and  let  him  go,"  said  the 
Nazarene.  And  the  two  sisters  of  the 
dead  man,  releasing  themselves  from  the 
human  hedge,  rushed  to  their  brother. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
And  he?  .   .   . 

APPIUS 

He   staggered,    he    stumbled   at   every 
step.  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
But  the  Nazarene?  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

He  went  away  without  a  word  and  with- 
drew into  Simon's  house. 
88 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 
And  the  dead  man,  how  did  he  go  ?  ... 

APPIUS 

The  two  sisters,  wild-eyed,  mechanic- 
ally, blindly  fumbled  and  cut  the  napkin 
and  the  grave-clothes ;  then,  supporting  the 
dead  man  and  helping  him  to  walk,  they 
led  him  away  to  the  same  house.  The 
crowd  dared  not  follow  them  save  with 
their  eyes.  No  one  uttered  a  word;  even 
the  two  women  did  not  yet  speak  to  the 
dead  man. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
And  the  Nazarene?    Has  he  been  seen 
again? 

SILANUS 

He  has  not  left  Simon's  house.     The 
swaying  multitude  is  waiting  for  him  in 
89 


Mary  Magdalene 

the  orchard  and  along  the  roads;  for,  after 
the  first  long  minutes  of  stupor,  reaction 
set  in  and  a  general  alacrity  followed.  ... 

APPIUS 

Which  was  as  extraordinary  as  the  mira- 
cle itself!  First,  a  confused  and  almost 
dumb  gladness,  made  up  of  whispers  that 
seek  and  feel  for  one  another,  passed 
through  the  crowd.  Then,  as  though  the 
truth  had  suddenly  burst  forth  under  the 
skies,  an  unspeakable  gaiety  seized  upon 
the  mass.  The  whispers  became  cries  that 
were  not  recognizable.  The  women,  the 
children  and  especially  the  older  men  ex- 
ulted frantically.  It  was  as  though  they 
were  trampling  on  death,  which  a  god  had 
just  conquered  and  laid  low,  for  the  first 
time  since  man  came  into  existence.  At 
this  moment,  an  inconceivable  and  danger- 
ous exaltation  still  prevails  in  all  the  re- 
90 


Mary  Magdalene 

gion  round  about  the  tombs ;  and,  by  Her- 
cules, though  we  have  escaped  unscathed, 
I  would  not  advise  my  worst  enemy  to  risk 
the  Roman  toga  and  arms  there  I 

VERUS 
Is  that  all?  .    .    . 

APPIUS 
What  more  would  you  have  ?  .   .   . 

VERUS 

I  should  like  to  know  what  all  this 
proves. 

APPIUS 

It  proves  that  this  man  who  has  con- 
quered death,  which  hitherto  had  con- 
quered the  world,  is  greater  than  we  and 
our  gods.  It  therefore  behoves  us  to  hear 
what  he  has  to  tell  us  and  to  conform  our 
lives  to  it. 

91 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

I  will  conform  mine  to  it,  Appius,  if 
what  he  teaches  is  better  than  what  I  have 
learned.  By  awaking  a  dead  man,  in  the 
depth  of  his  grave,  he  shows  us  that  he 
possesses  a  power  greater  than  that  of  our 
masters,  but  not  a  greater  wisdom.  Let 
us  await  everything  with  an  even  mind. 
It  is  not  difficult,  even  for  a  child,  to  dis- 
cern that  which,  in  men's  words,  augments 
or  decreases  the  love  of  virtue.  If  he 
can  convince  me  that  I  have  acted  wrong 
until  to-day,  I  will  amend,  for  I  seek  only 
the  truth.  But,  if  all  the  dead  who  peo- 
ple these  valleys  were  to  rise  from  their 
graves  to  bear  witness,  in  his  name,  to  a 
truth  less  high  than  that  which  I  know,  I 
would  not  believe  them.  Whether  the 
dead  sleep  or  wake,  I  will  not  give  them 
a  thought  unless  they  teach  me  to  make 
a  better  use  of  my  life.  .  .  . 
93 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (starting)' 
Listen  I  .    .    . 

VERUS 
What  is  it?  ... 

APPIUS 
I  hear  stones  rolling.  ..   .  .., 

VERUS 
It  is  like  the  murmur  of  a  crowd.  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
He  is  coming!  .   .   . 

APPIUS  (going  to  the  first  columns  of 
the  vestibule) 

From  here  we  overlook  the  wall  of  the 
first  court.  ...     I  see  theml  .   .    . 
93 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (pale  and  stag- 
gering, takes  a  few  steps  toward 
the  back  of  the  Atrium  and  gazes 
into  the  distance) 
Yes.  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

They  are  wrapped  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 
.  .  .  There  are  two  or  three  thousand 
of  them  crowding  toward  the  entrance. 
...  I  think  it  is  those  who  were  at  the 
grave.  .  .  . 

VERUS 
They  would  not  dare !  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Verus!  .   .   . 

VERUS 

Fear  nothing,  Magdalene:  this  time,  I 
alone  will  defend  you. 
94 


Mary  Magdalene 

APPIUS 

They  are  following,  at  a  distance,  a 
man  clad  in  white,  who  is  entering  the 
court.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

But  what  is  the  janitor  of  the  first  court- 
yard doing?  ...  Will  he  not  stop 
him?  .  .  . 

APPIUS 

Yes.  .  .  .  He  is  coming  now.  .  .  . 
What  is  he  doing?  .  .  .  One  would  think 
he  was  afraid!  .  .  .  He  suddenly  stops 
and  lets  him  pass  without  a  word.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

And  the  others  follow  him.  .  .  .  They 
are  entering  the  second  court.  .  .  .  The 
impudence  of  those  Jews  is  really  incredi- 
ble! ...  In  Rome,  even  during  the 
Saturnalia,  we  should  not  allow  the  crowd 
95 


Mary  Magdalene 

to  push  its  way  like  that.   .    .    .     What 
are  the  slaves  doing?  .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Is  it  he?  .   .   . 

SILANUS 
Who?  .   .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
The  Nazarene.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

I  think  not.  ...     It  is  not  his  walk. 
...     I  believe  rather  that  it  is    ... 

APPIUS 
There  he  is,  in  the  plane-tree  avenue ! 

SILANUS 

He  is  coming  straight  in  our  direc- 
tion. .  .  . 

96 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

He  is  even  taking  the  shortest  way.  He 
is  coming  up  the  steps  under  the  box- 
wood arbour.  .  .  .  He  seems  at  home. 
.  .  .  Fortunately,  the  slaves  are  running 
from  every  side  to  bar  his  entrance  to  the 
vestibule.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Hush,  I  entreat  youl  .    .   . 

VERUS 
What  is  the  matter?  .   .  . 

APPIUS 

He  is  coming  nearer;  he  is  terribly 
pale.  .  .  . 

SILANUS 

I  believe  it  is    ... 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Who?  .  .  . 

97 


Mary  Magdalene 

SILANUS 

The  other  one.  .    .    .     The  one  whom 
he  brought  forth  from  the  .   .   . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Lazarus?  .    .   . 

SILANUS 
.Yes,  I  recognize  him.   .    .    . 

VERUS 

What   does   he   want   with   us?  . 
Ghosts  do  not  walk  like  that,  in  broad 
daylight.  .   .   .     He  is  horrible !  .   .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Oh,  hush,  hush!  .   .   . 

SILANUS 

Here  he  is.  ... 

98 


Mary  Magdalene 

SCENE   III 

THE  SAME,  LAZARUS.  At  the  back  of 
the  vestibule,  the  SLAVES.  Further  away, 
imagined  rather  than  perceived,  the  crowd 
of  JEWS. 

(A  great  silence.  LAZARUS  ad- 
vances slowly  from  the  back  of  the 
vestibule.  Pie  looks  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left.  The  SLAVES 
of  the  villa,  who  have  hastened  up 
among  the  last  columns,  form  a 
group  for  a  moment  as  though  to 
block  his  way.  But,  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  man  risen  from  the 
dead,  who  seems  unaware  of  their 
presence,  they  fall  back  silently, 
one  after  the  other.  LAZARUS 
ENTERS  by  the  back  of  the  Atrium 
and  stops  on  the  threshold,  which 
is  raised  by  three  steps.  MARY 
99 


Mary  Magdalene 

MAGDALENE  moves  backwards  to 
one  of  the  columns  in  the  fore- 
ground, against  which  she  crushes 
herself,  motionless.  But  VERUS, 
breaking  the  silence,  with  his  hand 
on  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  goes  up 
to  LAZARUS.) 

VERUS  (in  a  hectoring  voice) 
Who  are  you?  .  .  .  ( LAZARUS  does 
not  reply.)  You  do  not  answer?  .  .  .  It 
is  indeed  easier  to  cover  with  silence  what 
one  dare  not  confess.  But,  if  you  have 
nothing  to  say,  you  have  no  business  here. 
It  is  well  for  you  that  my  pity  is  stronger 
than  my  indignation.  Go! 

(A  new  and  profound  silence.) 

LAZARUS  (in  a  voice  that  does  not  seem 
yet  to  have  recovered  its  human  notet  to 
MAGDALENE) 

Come.    The  Master  calls  you. 
100 


Mary  Magdalene 

(MAGDALENE  leaves  the  column 
against  which  she  is  leaning  and 
takes  four  or  five  steps  towards 
LAZARUS,  as  though  walking  in  her 
sleep.) 

VERUS  (barring  the  road) 
Where  are  you  going?  ;  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (as  though  recov- 
ering consciousness  with  difficulty,  in  a  sti- 
fled,  hesitating  voice,  which  she  vainly 
tries  to  render  firmer) 

Wherever  he  wishes.  .    .   .. 

VERUS 
No,  not  while  I  am  here !  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (throwing  herself 
convulsively  into  VERUS'  arms) 

Verus!  .    .   . 

101 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
BANTA  BARBARA  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS  (clasping  her  violently) 

Have  no  fear,  Magdalene.  Nothing 
can  touch  you  in  these  arms  which  close 
round  you.  The  madness  of  this  land 
seems  more  contagious  than  its  pestilence 
and  more  tenacious  than  its  leprosy;  but 
Roman  reason  does  not  waver,  like  the 
rest,  at  the  first  foul  breath  that  issues 
from  a  tomb.  We  will  cut  this  matter 
short.  ( To  LAZARUS  )  You  I  will  not 
touch  with  my  sword.  It  shrinks  from 
corpses,  even  when  they  walk  and  drive 
the  trade  which  you  do.  It  is  for  the 
slaves  to  show  you  the  road  back  to  the 
sepulchre.  .  .  .  Where  are  the  slaves? 
.  .  .  But,  before  going,  look  at  this  and 
tell  your  master  that  the  woman  whom  he 
covets — by  the  gods,  he  lacks  neither  taste 
nor  daring ! — has  sought  a  refuge  in  these 
arms,  which  will  know  how  to  defend  her 
102 


Mary  Magdalene 

against  his  barbarous  witchcraft  and  his 
childish  spells.  Above  all,  repeat  to  him 
what  I  am  about  to  say:  he  will  perhaps 
understand.  His  life,  which  will  not 
be  a  long  one,  after  what  he  has  done, 
lies  wholly  in  this  hand  which  drives  you 
hence.  I  have  spoken.  Go.  She  will  not 
follow  you.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (struggling  to  es- 
cape from  VERUS'  embrace,  while,  in  the 
effort,  her  hair  becomes  loosened  and  falls 
over  her  shoulders) 

Yes!  .   .   . 

VERUS  (holding  her  back  by  force) 
What  does  this  mean?    .    .    .     Then 

you  wish  to  .   .   .?     (MAGDALENE  nods 

her  head.)     I  no  longer  understand.  .   .   . 

Or  rather  I  begin  to  understand  too  well. 

...     You  were  at  one.  .    .    .     And  it 
103 


Mary  Magdalene 

was  he  whom  you  were  awaiting  with  that 
impatience  which  seemed  so  sweet  to  me? 
.  .  .  For  who  could  be  made  to  believe 
that  the  fairest,  richest  and  proudest 
woman  in  all  Judea  would  thus,  without 
a  previous  understanding,  obey  the  first 
word,  the  first  sign  of  the  grotesque  and 
repulsive  messenger  sent  by  one  whom  she 
had  seen  but  once  in  her  life !  .  .  .  It  is 
too  much.  ...  I  see,  I  know :  go,  since 
you  love  him!  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
No,  no !  ...     I  love  you,  but  he.  ... 

VERUS 
But  he?  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (sinking  in  sobs  at 
VERUS'  feet) 

It  is  a  different  thing!  .    .   . 
104 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

It  is  well,  stand  up.  ...  I  do  not 
keep  you  by  force.  But  I  could  not  have 
believed  that  you  had  come  to  this.  .  .  .; 
I  have  fallen  into  one  of  your  Jewish 
traps.  Do  you  see  the  crowd  posted 
there,  under  the  portico,  spying  upon  its 
hostages?  ...  I  will  not  have  Roman 
property  defiled.  ...  I  bear  you  no 
grudge,  Magdalene.  Love,  in  me,  is  not 
extinguished  in  a  moment;  and  I  possess 
more  constancy  than  woman.  ...  I 
shall  watch  over  you.  I  know  now  that, 
by  destroying  him,  I  can  save  her  whom 
he  wished  to  destroy.  He  does  not  sus- 
pect that  he  owes  his  life  to  me;  for  hith- 
erto, from  pity  or  indifference,  I  had  held 
back  the  threats  that  were  gathering  over 
his  head.  But,  since  he  himself  comes  to 
attack  me  in  my  happiness,  I  add  to  those 
105 


Mary  Magdalene 

threats  all  the  weight  of  flouted  lave.  .  .  . 
And,  now,  go  with  your  guide  from  the 
tombs.  .  .  .  We  shall  meet  again  be- 
fore long. 

(LAZARUS  GOES  OUT  slowly  through 
the  vestibule.  MAGDALENE,  with- 
out a  word,  without  a  movement, 
without  a  look,  GOES  OUT  after  him, 
amid  the  profound,  still  silence  of 
all  present.) 

APPIUS  (after  a  long  pause) 
We  have  this  day  seen  more  than  one 
thing  that  we  had  not  seen  before.   .    .    . 

SILANUS 

It  is  true,  Appius;  and  this  is  as  sur- 
prising as  the  resurrection  of  a  dead 
man..  .  .  . 

CURTAIN 
106 


ACT  III 


ACT  III 

(In  the  house  of  JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A. 
The  Supper-room  in  which  the  Last 
Supper  took  place.  Windows  at  the 
back.  Doors  to  the  right  and  left. 
Jud<zo-Roman  architecture.  The 
lamps  are  lit.  It  is  the  end  of  the 
night  of  the  sixth  of  April.) 

SCENE   I 

NlCODEMUS.        LEVI     THE     PUBLICAN. 

SIMON  THE  LEPER.  LAZARUS,  THE  MAN 
RISEN  FROM  THE  DEAD.  CLEOPHAS, 
ZACCH^EUS.  THE  MAN  THAT  WAS  BORN 
BLIND.  BARTIM^US,  THE  BLIND  MAN 
OF  JERICHO.  THE  MAN  OF  GERASA 
POSSESSED  BY  A  DEVIL.  THE  IMPO- 
TENT MAN  OF  BETHESDA.  THE  MAN 

HEALED  OF  A  DROPSY.    THE  MAN  WHOSE 
109 


Mary  Magdalene 

HAND  WAS  WITHERED.  SIMON  PETER'S 
MOTHER-IN-LAW  MARY  CLEOPHAS. 
SALOME,  THE  WIFE  OF  ZEBEDEE.  SU- 
SANNA. Several  nameless  MEN  AND 
WOMEN  CURED  BY  MIRACLES.  A  few 
HUNCHBACKED,  HALT,  BLIND,  LEPERS 
and  PALSIED  waiting  to  be  healed.  Some 
BEGGARS,  two  or  three  HARLOTS,  etc.  (All 
these  people  are  struck  with  consternation 
and  alarm  at  the  arrest  of  JESUS  and  at 
the  bad  news  that  is  current.  They  crowd 
at  the  back  of  the  room,  muttering  and 
whispering.  ENTER  MARTHA,  the  sister 
of  LAZARUS.) 

MARTHA  '(affrighted,  looking  anxiously 
around  her} 

I  have  seen  him! 

(Sensation.     ALL   gather,    eagerly 
round  MARTHA.) 
110 


Mary  Magdalene 

NICODEMUS 
Where  is  he?  .    .   . 

MARY  CLEOPHAS 
Has  he  suffered?  .   .  . 

SALOME 
What  does  he  say?  .    .    . 

MARTHA 
Where  is  my  sister?  .   .   . 

MARY  CLEOPHAS 

She  is  with  her  mother,  in  our  host's 
chamber.  .  .  .  Her  mother  was  worn 
out  with  sorrow.  .  ..  . 

MARTHA  (going  to  one  of  the  windows) 
Did  no  one  follow  me?  .   .   .     No,  the 
street  is  empty.  ...     I  went  a  long  way 
round.  .   .   . 

Ill 


Mary  Magdalene 

NICODEMUS 
Where  did  you  see  him?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 

He  was  coming  out  of  Annas'  palace. 
...  I  followed  him  to  Caiaphas'.  .  .  . 
It  seems  they  are  looking  for  us.  ... 
They  have  a  special  grudge  against  Laza- 
rus, the  man  raised  from  the  dead.  .  .  . 
Where  is  he?  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS  (pointing  to  LAZARUS,  in 
the  shadow) 

Here,  among  us.  ... 

MARTHA 

They  mean  to  arrest  all  those  who  went 
with  him.  .  .  .  They  mean  to  stone  us 
according  to  the  law.  .  .  .  They  will 
persecute  all  those  who  come  from  Gali- 
lee. .  .  . 

113 


Mary  Magdalene 

CLEOPHAS 
We  are  all  Galileans.  .  -.   . 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
No,  not  I.  ... 

ANOTHER 
Nor  I:   I  am  from  Bethany. 

BARTIM^EUS 
And  I  from  Jericho.  ... 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
It  is  not  well  that  we  should  be  found 
together.  ,.  ,.  ... 

NICODEMUS 
Where  will  you  go?  .   .   . 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
No  matter  where.  ...     We  shall  be 
safer  than  here.  . 

113 


Mary  Magdalene 

ANOTHER 

They  do  not  know  us.  ...  I  have 
never  been  seen  with  him.  .  .  . 

A  WOMAN 

Nor  I  either:  he  just  simply  healed  me. 
...  I  was  bowed  together  and  he  made 
me  straight.  .  .  . 

A  MAN 

I  saw  him  only  once:  it  was  when  he 
said  to  me,  "Arise  and  take  up  thy  bed 
and  go  thy  way  into  thine  house."  I  am 
he  whom  they  let  down  through  the  roof 
upon  a  bed.  .  .  .  Now  I  walk  like  other 
men.  .  .  .  (He  turns  to  the  door  and 
GOES  OUT,  followed  by  THOSE  CURED  BY 
MIRACLES  who  spoke  before  him.) 

A  SICK  MAN 

They  are  right.    .    .    .     We  are  not 
114 


Mary  Magdalene 

known  either.  ...  I  came  to  be  healed 
of  a  dysentery.  ...  I  have  not  had 
time  to  touch  him.  (He  also  makes  for 
the  door.} 

MARTHA 
Are  you  not  ashamed?  .   .   . 

THE  SICK  MAN  (stopping  on  the 
threshold] 

Of  what?  ...  It  serves  no  purpose 
that  those  whom  he  has  healed  should  per- 
ish because  of  him. ..  .  .  (He  GOES  OUT.) 

ANOTHER  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 

He  can  do  nothing  for  us,  because  he 
can  do  nothing  for  himself;  and  we  can 
do  nothing  for  him.  .  .  . 

A  HUNCHBACK 

Yes,  why  does  he  not  protect  us?   .    .    . 
He  is  constantly  speaking  of  his  father 
115 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  the  angels.   .    .    .     Where  are  those 
angels? 

NICODEMUS 
It  is  because  his  hour  has  not  yet  come. 

THE  HUNCHBACK 

When  will  his  hour  come?  .  .  .  When 
it  is  too  late.  ...  I  have  not  the  time 
to  wait.  .  .  .  (He  GOES  OUT.) 

NICODEMUS 

Let  those  who  do  not  love  him  go. 
.  .  .  The  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in 
such  an  hour  as  you  think  not.  .  .  . 

CLEOPHAS 
His  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  .   .  . 

A  BLIND  MAN 

His  kingdom,  is  lost.   .    .    . 
116 


Mary  Magdalene 

NICODEMUS 

He  said,  "Are  not  five  sparrows  sold 
for  two  farthings  and  not  one  of  them  is 
forgotten  before  God?"  . 


CLEOPHAS 

:    said,    " 
pense  " 


He    said,    "Live    not   in   careful    sus- 
11 


NICODEMUS 

He  said,  "  If  a  man  keep  my  saying,  he 
shall  never  see  death."  .  .  . 

THE  BLIND  MAN 

But  he  also  said,  "Let  the  dead  bury 
their  dead."  (He  gropes  his  way  to  the 
door  and  GOES  OUT.) 

A  LAME  MAN 

I  am  going  away,  not  that  I  am  afraid, 
but  to  go  and  look  for  him.  .    .   . 
117 


Mary  Magdalene 

ANOTHER 
I  also.  .    .   .      (They  GO  OUT.) 

A  LEPER 

Who  said  that  we  must  wait  for  him 
here?  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS 
Simon  Peter. 

THE  LEPER 

Where    is   Simon   Peter?    .    .     .     He 
hardly  shows  himself. 

MARTHA 

He  was  by  the  fire,  in  the  high-priest's 
hall.  .    .    . 

NICODEMUS 

And  John  ?  .  .  . 

118 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARTHA 

I  heard  that  he  was  in  Annas' 
house.  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS 

And  what  was  the  Master  doing  when 
you  saw  him  ?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 

I  saw  him  only  for  a  moment,  while  he 
passed  between  the  columns  of  the  vesti- 
bule. .  .  .  There  was  a  great  crowd 
around  him.  .  .  . 

MARY  CLEOPHAS 
Did  he  see  you  ?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 
Yes.     He  looked  at  me.  .    .    . 

NICODEMUS 

He  was  not  free?  .    .    ., 
119 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARTHA 

His  hands  were  bound.  ...  The 
Roman  soldiers  were  striking  him  to  make 
him  walk  faster.  .  .  . 

MARY  SALOME 
Oh!  ... 

CLEOPHAS 

And  the  others,  the  twelve,  where  are 
they?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 

Nobody  knows.  .  .  .  They  were 
seized  with  panic.  ...  I  have  heard 
that  Thomas  and  Jude  have  fled  to  Gali- 
lee. .  .  ., 

NICODEMUS 

And  Mary  Magdalene,  did  you  see 
her?  .  .  . 

120 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARTHA 

No,  but  James  met  her.  .  .  .  She  is 
mad  with  grief,  it  seems.  .  .  .  She 
was  crying  out,  tearing  her  garments  and 
dashing  her  head  against  the  walls  in 
Annas'  palace.  .  .  .  The  servants  drove 
her  away;  and,  since  then,  nobody  knows 
what  became  of  her.  ...  A  poor  man 
told  me  that  she  was  wandering  in  the 
Roman  quarter.  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS 
Does  she  know  that  we  are  here?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 
Yes,  Simon  Peter  told  her.   .    .    . 

A  SICK  MAN 

When    she   comes,   do  not  let  her  go 
out  again.   .    .    .        She  will  bring  mis- 
fortune upon  us.     She  is  dangerous  and 
does  not  know  what  she  is  doing.   .    .    . 
121 


Mary  Magdalene 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
There  are  men  marching  in  the  street. 
...  I  hear  the  sound  of  arms.  .  .  . 
They  are  coming  to  arrest  us!  .  .  . 
Let  all  escape  who  can!  ...  (To 
NICODEMUS,  who  is  going  to  a  window) 
Do  not  go  to  the  windows,  you  will  be 
recognized!  .  .  . 

BARTIMJEUS 

I  will  go,  I  am  not  known,  I  am  from 
Jericho.  .  .  .  (He  looks  cautiously 
into  the  street} .  It  is  twelve  soldiers, 
with  a  centurion.  .  .  .  Hush!  .  .  . 
Do  not  speak!  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS 
Are  they  stopping?  .    .    . 

BARTIM^US 

No.  .    .    .       They  are  passing.   .    .   . 
122 


Mary  Magdalene 

There  is  no  one  in  the  street  now.  .  .  . 
Yes!  .  i.  .  There  is  some  one  coming 
at  the  other  end.  .  .  .  Do  not  make  a 
noise.  .  .  .  It  is  a  woman  and  four  men. 
.  .  .  Why,  I  know  them!  ...  It  is 
Mary  Magdalene,  Joseph  of  Arimathaea, 
James,  I  believe,  and  Andrew  and  Simon 
Zelotes.  .  .  .  They  are  looking  around 
them.  .  i. .  .  They  are  knocking.  .  .  . 
Go  down  and  open  the  door  to  them.  .  . 

SCENE   II 

THE  SAME,  MARY  MAGDALENE, 
JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A,  JAMES, 
ANDREW  and  SIMON  ZELOTES 

MARY    MAGDALENE    (beside    herself, 
dishevelled,  barefoot,  with  torn  garments} 

How  many  are  you?  .    .  ,.:    Are  you 
123 


Mary  Magdalene 

ready?  .  .  .  What  have  you  been  do- 
ing while  waiting  for  me?  ...  I  have 
come  from  the  Antonia  Tower.  .  .  . 
The  military  tribune  was  not  in  the  Roman 
quarter.  .  .  .  But  I  have  seen  his 
friend  Appius.  .  .  .  He  will  send  him 
to  us  as  soon  as  he  returns.  .  .  .  Verus 
said  that  it  might  be  possible  to  save  him. 
...  I  do  not  know  how.  .  .  .  He 
will  explain  it  to  us.  .  .  .  But,  if  he 
does  not  save  him,  we  must.  .  .  .  James 
and  Simon  have  swords  under  their  cloaks. 
Where  is  Peter?  Where  is  John?  .  .  . 

MARTHA 

I  saw  them  in  the  hall    of   the   high- 
priest's  house.   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

They  ought   to  be    here.  .    .    .       We 
must   be    many.   .    .    .     He    is    to   pass 
124 


Mary  Magdalene 

through  this  street,  under  that  window,  on 
his  way  to  Pilate.   .    .    . 

NICODEMUS 
When?  .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
To-night,  before  the  second  watch.  .  .  . 
Which  of  you  has  arms?    Where  are  they 
hidden?   .    .    . 

NICODEMUS 
What  do  you  wish  to  do?   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

To  deliver  him,  if  Verus  does  not  deliver 

him.   ...     It  is  easy,  you  shall  see.  .  .  . 

They  will  let  us  do  as  we  please,  I  know 

they  will.   .    .    .       The  Romans  do  not 

want  to  judge  him.   .    .    .     Appius  told 

me  so,  they  are  perplexed.   .    .    .     When 

they  took  him  to    Caiaphas,   there   were 

125 


Mary  Magdalene 

only  two  soldiers  to  guard  him  and  two 
sergeants  from  the  Temple,  armed  with 
sticks.  ...  If  only  there  had  been  five 
or  six  men  with  me  I  .  .  .  We  would 
have  hidden  him,  I  know  where;  and  he 
would  have  been  saved !  ...  .  .  But  I  was 
all  alone!  .  .  . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A 

It  is  not  so  easy  as  you  think,  Magdalene. 
;.  .  .  All  the  populace  was  there,  ready 
to  stone  him.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
But  the  populace  is  on  his  side  and  the 
crowd  adores  him !  ..  .   .     You  have  for- 
gotten his  triumphal  entry!  .    .   . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA 
It  is  different  now.   .    .   ,.     They  were 
all  shouting  for  his  death  outside  Caia- 
phas'  palace.  k.  L.   . 

126 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

It  was  a  few  servants  of  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees.   .    .    . 

J.OSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A 
A  few  servants  would  not  have  been 
enough  to  cover  a  public  place  to  the  very 
roofs.  ...  It  was  indeed  the  same 
crowd  as  on  the  day  of  the  triumph.  .  .  . 
No,  believe  me,  Magdalene,  he  knows 
what  he  wishes.  .  .  .  He  is  deter- 
mined to  be  destroyed.  .  .  .  He  has  con- 
fessed everything.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

What  can  he  have  confessed,  when  he 
has  done  no  wrong?  .   .   . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A 
He  admitted  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God 
and  the  King  of  the  Jews. 
127 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Is  it  not  the  truth?  .    .    . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA 
No  doubt,  but  it  would  have  been  better 
not  to  proclaim  it  to-night.    In  the  eyes  of 
the  priests  and  Romans,  it  is  a  crime  pun- 
ishable by  law.  .    .    . 

AN  INFIRM  MAN 

He  must  be  guilty,  or  they  would  not 
have  arrested  him.   .   .   . 

NICODEMUS 

We  cannot  do  more  than  he  wishes  and 
commands;  and  he  renounces  his  defence. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
But  you  do  not  see  that  he  does  that  to 
try     your     faith,     your     strength,     your 
love!   .    .    . 

128 


Mary  Magdalene 

NICODEMUS 
He  foretold  all  this  many  times.   .    .    ., 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
That  was  because  he  knew  the  coward- 
ice of  those  who  pretended  to  love 
him !  .  .  .  Ah,  men  are  great  and  heroic 
and  proud!  .  .  .  The  only  men  who 
have  not  fled,  those  who  tremble  least,  the 
best  of  you  discuss  and  argue  as  though 
they  had  to  do  with  a  measure  of  wheat; 
and  the  women  are  silent  and  weep !  .  .  . 
Well,  what  do  you  say,  my  sisters  ?  .  .  . 
Is  not  this  the  moment  to  show  your  love  ? 
;.  .  .  And  those  whom  he  has  healed, 
where  are  they,  what  are  they  doing?  .  .  . 
You  there,  who  want  to  flee,  blind  Barti- 
mseus,  the  other  one  from  Jericho,  the 
other  from  Siloam:  those  eyes,  which  he 
has  opened,  you  turn  from  me,  because  I 
have  the  courage  to  speak  to  you  of  him  1 
129 


Mary  Magdalene 

.  .  .  You,  Simon  the  Leper,  you,  the 
other  from  Samaria,  have  you  forgotten 
that,  before  he  came,  you  were  more  hide- 
ous than  death?  ...  I  see  nothing 
around  me  but  miracles  in  hiding!  .  .  . 
The  man  whose  hand  was  withered,  the 
man  who  was  healed  of  a  dropsy  on  the 
Sabbath  and  the  man  of  Gerasa  possessed 
by  a  devil,  who  dares  not  lift  up  his 
head  I  .  .  .  And,  among  the  palsied, 
he  of  Bethesda  who  is  running  to  the  door, 
using  his  legs  only  to  forsake  the  God 
who  healed  him!  .  .  .  Even  those 
whom  he  raised  from  the  dead  are  afraid! 
.  .  .  Why,  look  at  Lazarus:  he  is  more 
pale  than  any  of  you!  .  .  .  And  yet 
you  saw  death,  you ;  you  lay  touching  it  for 
four  long  days.  ...  Is  it  more  terrible 
than  men  thought?  .  ,.  .  You  do  not  an- 
swer? .  .  . 

(A  long  pause.) 
130 


Mary  Magdalene 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A 

Listen,  Magdalene.  ...  I  lack  neither 
courage  nor  loyalty.  .  .  .  Notwith- 
standing the  power  of  the  priests,  I  have 
thrown  open  my  house  to  those  who  fol- 
lowed him.  I  know  the  price  which  I 
shall  have  to  pay.  ...  I  am  prepared 
to  sacrifice  everything  and  life  itself  to  him. 
But  I  know  his  will  and  I  cannot  disobey 
him.  .  .  .  Peter  wished  to  defend  him 
and  drew*  his  sword.  .  .  .  He  made 
him  put  it  up  into  the  sheath.  ...  I 
was  at  Gethsemane.  .  ,.  ,., 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Since  you  were  there,  why  did  you  not 
help  Peter?  .  .  .  We  save  those  whom 
we  love;  we  listen  to  them  afterwards! 
.  .  .  But  what  will  you  do  when  you 
have  destroyed  him  ?  .  .  .  Oh,  I  am  de- 
131 


Mary  Magdalene 

laying  too  long  with  those  who  are  afraid! 
.  .  .  What  am  I  doing  here,  among  men 
who  will  do  nothing?  .  .  I  am  wasting 
his  last  chances  and  his  last  minutes.  .  .  . 
I  will  go  to  meet  Verus;  after  him,  we 
shall  see.  .  .  .  (She  turns  to  the  door. 
JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATILEA  and  NICODEMUS 
block  her  way.) 

NICODEMUS 

Do  not  go  out,  Magdalene:  it  means 
destroying  him  and  destroying  us  with 
him.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Ah,  destroying  you  with  him,  that  is 
the  trouble!     .     .    .    Wait!      (She  takes 
another  step  towards  the  door.    NlCODE- 
MUS  stops  her  resolutely.) 

NICODEMUS 

You  shall  not  go  out. 
133 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  shall  not  go  out?     .     .  True, 

you  dare  fight  against  a  woman.  I  had 
not  foreseen  this  great  courage  born  of 
terror.  You  all  shake  your  heads  like 
empty  cornspikes;  and  the  women  rejoice 
in  at  last  discovering  the  cowardice  of  the 
men,  showing  itself  suddenly  more  signal 
than  their  own !  .  .  . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A 
Take  counsel,  Magdalene;  think  of  him 
and  reflect  that,  if  he  heard  you   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Well,  if  he  heard  me,  it  would  be  as  on 
the  day  when  that  one  among  you  whom 
you    all    resemble    reproached    me    with 
anointing  his  feet  with  too  costly  an  oint- 
ment!  .    .    .  Have  you   forgotten  what 
he  said?   .    .    .  Whom  did  he  declare  to 
133 


Mary  Magdalene 

be  right?.  .  .  You  have  understood 
nothing!  .  .  .  For  months  and  years, 
you  have  lived  in  his  light;  and  not  one  of 
you  has  the  least  idea  of  what  I  saw  be- 
cause I  loved  him,  I  who  did  not  come  until 
the  eleventh  hour,  I  whom  he  drew  from 
lower  than  the  lowest  slave  of  the  lowest 
among  you  alll  .  .  . 

NICODEMUS  (listening  to  the  sounds 
outside) 

Hush!  .  .  .  Listen!  .  .  .  Some  one 
is  walking  outside  the  house.  ...  (To 
BARTIM^US.)  Go  see  who  it  is.  ... 

BARTIM^EUS  (at  the  window) 
It  is  a  man  wrapped  in  a  cloak.  .  .  . 
A  Roman.  .  .  .  He  has  stopped.  .  .  . 
He  knocks  at  the  door.  .  .  .  He  is  com- 
ing in.  ...  The  door  was  not 
closed.  .  .  . 

134 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (running  to  the 
door  of  the  Supper-room} . 

It   is   he,    it   is   Lucius   Verus!    .    .    . 

Open  the  door  to  him!     Open  quickly! 

...     I  hear  him!   .  ...  :. 

(They  open  the  door  of  the  Supper- 
room.  Lucius  VERUS  appears  in 
the  embrasure.  At  the  sight  of 
the  strange  assembly  of  PER- 
SONS CURED  BY  MIRACLES,  CRIP- 
PLES, BEGGARS  and  SICK,  he  stops 
and  stands  dumbfoundered  on  the 
threshold.) 

SCENE  III 

THE  SAME,  Lucius  VERUS 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (running  to 
VERUS  with  outstretched  arms) 
It  is  you,  my  Verus,  it  is  indeed  you! 
.    .    .     An  eye  that  looks  me  in  the  face, 
135 


Mary  Magdalene 

a  sword,  shoulders,  hands  that  do  not 
tremble!  .  .  .  .Come!  Come!  What 
are  we  to  do?  .  .  .  Have  you  seen 
him?  .  .  .  Where  are  we  going?  .  .  . 
How  can  we  help  him  ?.  .  .  How  many 
men  do  you  need?  .  .  .  Where  are 
yours?  He  is  not  only  innocent,  as  you 
well  know,  he  is  so  pure,  he  stands  so  high 
that  the  thoughts  of  men  cannot  reach 
him  ...  In  his  goodness  he  is  bear- 
ing everything  for  the  sins  of  the  world; 
but  we  will  not  have  him  sacrifice  himself 
for  us.  ...  A  single  glance  from 
his  eyes,  a  single  word  from  his  mouth, 
are  worth  all  the  lives  of  all  other 
men.  .  .  . 

VERUS  (icily) 

Is  this  indeed  the  place  where  I  was  to 
meet  you?  .  <„    .     Who  are  these    .    .    . 
these    men.  .  L.,  .  surrounding    you?  .  .  . 
136 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

They  can  be  trusted.  .  .  .  They  love 
him  as  well  as  he  loved  them;  but  they 
want  a  leader.  .  .  .  They  were  waiting 
for  you.  .  .  .  They  will  follow  you 
everywhere.  .  .  . 

VERUS  (ironically} 

I  have  not  come  to  command  this  .  .  . 
foreign  .  .  .  troop.  ...  I  do  not  know! 
what  you  mean.  There  is  some  misunder- 
standing; and  we  should  not,  I  think,  ex- 
plain it  here,  before  so  many  witnesses.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

You  are  right.  ...  (To  the  others) 
Leave  us.  ...  I  will  call  you  when  the 
time  comes  for  action.  .  .  . 

(ALL  GO  OUT,  except  MARY  MAG- 
DALENE and  Lucius  VERUS.) 
137 


Mary  Magdalene 

SCENE  IV 

Lucius  VERUS,  MARY  MAGDALENE 

VERUS   (sarcastically) 

Who  are  those  extraordinary  persons? 
...  I  have  never  seen  so  many  cripples, 
vagrants  and  evil-smelling  sick  people  gath- 
ered together.  .  .  .  What  do  they  want 
with  you?  ...  I  was  told  that  you  were 
living  in  the  midst  of  uncouth  creatures, 
the  oldest,  the  ugliest,  the  dirtiest  and  the 
most  pestilential  of  those  Jews  whom  you 
mocked  so  pleasantly  in  the  house  of  the 
wise  Silanus ;  but  I  could  not  have  believed 
that  they  were  so  intimate  with  you  as 
this.  .  .  .  However,  that  no  longer  con- 
cerns me.  But  I  told  you  that  we  should 
meet  again  before  long.  .  .  .  Appius  in- 
formed me  that  you  had  been  looking  for 
me  in  the  Roman  quarter.  I  left  every- 
138 


Mary  Magdalene 

thing  to  hasten  at  your  first  summons.  I 
knew  what  was  happening  and  I  was  biding 
my  time.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
How  good  and  generous  you  are !  .  .  ., 
How  reassuring  and  comforting  your  pres- 
ence and  your  smile  I  ...  Those  others 
...  if  you  only  knew!  .  .  .  They  were 
trembling  like  the  reeds  of  which  our 
Master  speaks;  and  I  was  helpless  and 
dying  with  shame.  .  .  .  But  I  knew  that 
you  would  come  back  to  us;  and  now  this 
is  you,  your  arms,  your  breast.  ...  It 
seems  to  me  that  .Rome  in  her  entirety  is 
protecting  us  and  that  your  arms,  which 
can  do  all  things,  cannot  abandon  him. .  .  . 

VERUS 

They  will  not  abandon  you,  Magdalene. 
The  rest  depends  upon  yourself  alone.  .  .  . 
I  am  good  and  generous,  perhaps,  but  in 
139 


Mary  Magdalene 

my  own  manner;  and  we  must  understand 
each  other.  ...  So  they  have  arrested 
him  in  whom  you  take  so  lively  an  interest, 
as  I  told  you  that  they  would?  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

They  have  not  only  arrested  him:  all 
the  menials  of  the  Temple,  the  grooms, 
the  herds,  the  meanest  scullions  in  the 
kitchens  rushed  at  him,  insulted,  flouted 
and  ill-treated  him.  .  .  .  And,  as  they 
were  afraid,  as  they  were  too  cowardly  to 
venture  it  alone,  they  made  the  Roman 
soldiers  help  them!  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  know.  .  .  .  But  had  we  not  best 
be  brief  and  to  the  point?  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Yes,  we  have  no  time  to  lose.  .  .  . 
140 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

Even  so.  It  is  not  now  a  question  of  ar- 
rest nor  of  more  or  less  justifiable  ill-usage, 
but  of  imminent  death.  I  have  seen  the 
Procurator  Pontius  Pilate. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Good.     What  did  he  say?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  found  him  anxious,  perplexed,  at  a 
loss.  He  is  a  mild,  irresolute  man,  an 
enemy  to  quarrels  and  violence.  He  had 
to  choose  between  the  inevitably  bloody 
revolt  of  the  priests  and  their  sectaries 
and  the  sacrifice  of  an  agitator  who  was 
unquestionably  troublesome  and  dangerous, 
but  wlho  has  not,  perhaps,  incurred  the 
death  penalty  in  the  eyes  of  Roman 
law  and  justice.  I  spoke  according  to  my 
duty  arid  conscience.  He  did  not  hesi- 
141 


Mary  Magdalene 

tate.  He  chose  the  more  humane  and 
wiser  course.  And,  as  I  am  the  armed 
guardian  responsible  for  the  Roman  peace, 
he  gave  the  fate  of  your  Nazarene  into 
my  hands.  However,  I  must  admit  that, 
before  our  interview,  I  had  purposely  al- 
lowed events  to  take  the  course  they 
did.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
He  is  saved!     I  was  sure  of  it!    And 
how  right  I  was  to  fear  nothing  and  to 
hope  all  things  in  turning  to  you!   .    .    . 

VERUS 

Do  not  let  us  go  too  fast.     There  are 
many  things  to  consider.    .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
What  do  you  say?   .    .    . 

VERUS 

I  say  that  there  are  many  things  to  con- 
143 


Mary  Magdalene 

sider.  .  .  .  Had  I  known  nothing  what- 
ever of  your  adventure,  my  choice  would 
not  have  been  in  doubt:  I  should,  while 
more  or  less  pitying  him,  have  sacrificed 
the  wretched  man  to  the  public  tranquil- 
lity ;  it  is  the  sovereign  law  of  the  empire ; 
but  now  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

But  now,  it  is  different,  you  know  him, 
you  know  everything.  .  .  .  There  is  no 
excuse  for  a  moment's  hesitation ;  it  would 
be  monstrous.  ..  .  . 

VERUS 

Indeed,  there  is  no  excuse  for  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation;  it  would  be  monstrous, 
as  you  say.  .  .  .  Shall  I,  to  snatch  a 
favoured  rival  from  a  well-merited  death, 
for  the  second  time  lose  the  only  woman 
whom  I  love  or  can  love?  .  .  .  That 
certainly  is  impossible.  .  .  . 
143 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  do  not  quite  understand.   .    .    . 

VERUS 

Yet  it  is  simple  enough :  in  saving  him, 
I  hand  you  over,  without  defence,  to  the 
fellow  who  will  drag  you  with  him,  by 
fall  after  fall,  to  the  bottom  of  none  can 
tell  what  pit  of  folly  and  wretchedness, 
whence  no  human  and  reasoning  power 
will  be  able  to  extricate  you.  Moreover, 
speaking  for  myself,  I  lose  you  irrevocably 
by  thus  giving  you,  with  my  own  simple, 
foolish  hands,  to  one  who  robs  me  of  my 
happiness  by  methods  against  which  a 
man  who  values  the  name  does  not  try 
to  struggle.  Whereas,  if  I  abandon  him 
to  his  fate,  there  remains  a  chance  of  seeing 
you  return  to  the  light  and  for  me  some 
prospect  of  finding  you  in  my  path;  for 
144 


Mary  Magdalene 

our  two  lives  have  still,  I  hope,  a  long 
space  to  cover;  and  many  roads,  as  you 
well  know,  lead  to  Rome.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

I  understand.  ...  I  understand, 
since  I  needs  must  understand.  .  .  . 
But  I  do  not  yet  believe.  .  .  .  No,  it 
is  not  possible;  and  you,  the  man  whom  I 
know,  have  not  come  to  tell  me  coldly  that 
you  wish  to  destroy  him  and  thus  revenge 
yourself  for  an  injury  which  he  has  not 
done  you.  .  .  .  There  is,  there  must 
be,  something  else.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Yes,  there  is  something  else.  .  .  . 
There  remains  to  us,  if  you  are  absolutely 
bent  upon  it,  one  means  of  saving  him. 
But,  at  the  point  to  which  we  have  come 
and  to  which  I  have  driven  the  adventure, 
145 


Mary  Magdalene 

saving  him  probably  means  ruin  to  my- 
self. Besides,  time  presses.  The  sentence 
is  written,  I  have  seen  it.  He  will  be  put 
to  death  at  daybreak;  for  the  hours  are 
numbered  because  of  the  Passover.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
What  must  I  do?   .    .    .     Quick,  quick, 
I  will  do  it.    ... 

VERUS 

The  prisoner  is  guarded  by  my  men;  it 
is  therefore  not  quite  impossible  to  effect 
his  escape.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Why  yes,  why  yes,  it  is  simple ;  and  that, 
of  course,  is  what  we  must  do!  .  .  . 
Once  free,  he  will  hide  and  he  will  be  for- 
gotten. .  .  .  Let  us  lose  no  time.  .  .  . 
But  I  do  not  understand  why  you  came  to 
say  ... 

146 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

You  will  soon  understand.  ...  I  an- 
swer for  the  prisoner,  therefore.  Do  you 
know  what  I  am  doing,  do  you  know  what 
I  risk  by  restoring  him  to  liberty?  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
You  are  only  doing  your  duty  in  freeing 
an  innocent  man.  .    .    . 

VERUS 

It  is  not  for  me  to  enquire  into  his  in- 
nocence; that  does  not  concern  me.  I  am 
not  his  judge,  but  his  keeper.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Your  soldiers  will  hold  their  tongues 
and  no  one  will  know  that.   .    .    . 

VERUS 

My  soldiers  will  not  be  able  to  hold 
their  tongues.     They  will  have  to  choose 
between  silence  and  their  lives.     It  will 
147 


Mary  Magdalene 

therefore  be  known  that  they  acted  only 
on  my  orders.  Now  there  is  no  instance 
of  the  high-priests*  ever  abandoning  a 
prey,  a  revenge,  a  hatred.  They  will  go 
and  complain,  first,  at  Antioch,  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Syria,  and,  next,  to  Caesar  himself, 
whose  anger  is  kindled  at  the  very  breath 
of  a  suspicion.  Do  you  know  what  Caesar 
is?  The  greatest,  the  most  powerful  men 
in  Rome  tremble  before  his  shadow.  ,.  (.i  i., 
For  me,  it  means,  if  not  death,  at  least  ex- 
ile far  from  Rome;  and  death,  to  us 
(Romans,  seems  sweet  compared  with  ex- 
ile. .  .  .  That  is  what  I  give;  that  is 
my  stake ;  I  am  waiting  for  yours. 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

You    are    waiting    for    mine?  .    .    . 
What  would  you  have  me  give  ?   .   .    .    I 
have  nothing  left.   ...     I  distributed 
all  to  the  poor  the  other  evening.  .  f   , 
148 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

I  do  not  ask  for  what  one  gives  to  the 
poor.  .  .  .  And,  besides,  I  have  had 
enough  of  those  evasions  which  lead  to 
nothing  and  of  those  shuffling  phrases.  .  .  . 
Ah,  much  I  care  for  justice  and  a  vagrant 
more  or  less  in  the  world  and  my  own  fate 
and  my  own  exile !  .  .  .  Have  you  not 
understood  that  it  is  you  I  want,  you  alone 
and  all  of  you;  that  I  have  wanted  you 
for  years;  and  that  this  is  my  hour?  .  .  ., 
It  is  not  beautiful,  I  know,  and  it  is  not 
as  I  dreamt  it!  .  .  .  But  it  is  all  I 
have;  and  a  man  takes  what  he  can  to 
make  his  life!  .  .  .  We  stand  here 
face  to  face,  with  our  two  madnesses, 
which  are  more  powerful  than  ourselves 
and  cannot  recede;  we  must  come  to  an 
understanding!  .  .  .  The  more  you  love 
him,  the  more  I  love  you,  the  more  you 
149 


Mary  Magdalene 

wish  to  save  him  and  the  more  I  wish  to 
destroy  him !  We  must  come  to  an  under- 
standing! .  .  .  You  want  his  life,  I  want 
mine;  and  you  shall  have  his  life,  but  I 
shall  have  you,  before  he  escapes  his 
death.  .  .  .  Is  it  understood?  .  .  .  Are 
we  agreed?  .  .  .  Say  no,  if  you  dare,  and 
let  his  blood  be  upon  her  who  has  brought 
him  to  this  pass  and  who  is  destroying 
him  twice  over!  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 

Ah,  so  that  was  it!  .  .  .  Yes,  yes,  I 
know,  I  see  ...  I  was  not  conscious  and 
I  no  longer  thought  of  it;  but  it  was  bound 
to  be.  ...  Ah,  so  it  was  that  which 
caused  me  just  now,  while  you  were  speak- 
ing, to  have  no  confidence  despite  my  con- 
fidence! ...  It  is  so  strange,  so  mon- 
strous, so  remote  from  us!  .  .  .  One 
needs  a  little  time  to  understand.  .  .  . 
150 


Mary  Magdalene 

All  one's  thoughts  become  deranged  and 
one's  soul  falls,  falls,  like  a  stone  in  a 
well.  .  .  .  One  grasps  the  meaning  of 
nothing.  .  .  .  One  no  longer  knows 
where  one  stands.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

You  and  I  know  quite  well;  and  there 
is  nothing  extraordinary  in  all  this.  .  .  . 
A  few  days  ago,  you  would  not  have 
needed  so  much  urging;  and  I  do  not  un- 
derstand that  to-day,  when  the  price  of 
love  is  something  quite  different,  to-day, 
when  a  life,  dear  to  you  among  all  lives. . . . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Ah,  you  do  not  understand !  .  .  .    And 
to  think  that  scarcely  any  one,  not  even 
those  who  loved  him,  would  understand 
better!   .    .    .     Am  I  then  the  only  be- 
ing that  has  seen  into  his  soul?  .  .  .    And 
yet  it  is  not  so  very  difficult !  .  .  .    He  has 
151 


spoken  to  me  only  three  times  in  my  life, 
but  I  know  what  he  thinks.  I  know  all 
that  he  wishes,  I  know  all  that  he  is  as 
completely  as  though  I  were  within  him, 
or  as  though  he  were  there,  near  me,  fixing 
upon  my  brow  his  glance  in  which  the 
angels  come  down  from  heaven,  as  on  the 
evening  when  I  kissed  his  feet  and  wiped 
them  with  my  hair.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  well  knew  that  I  came  too  late,  but  I 
should  never  have  believed  that  you  had 
gone  so  far.  ...  If  he  has  spoken  to 
you  only  three  times,  he  has  not  wasted 
the  minutes  and  has  told  you  enough  to 
remove  my  doubts.  .  .  .  But  let  us  be 
calm.  It  is  a  question  other  than  of  love; 
and  your  lover  himself,  were  he  consulted, 
would  judge  that  a  kiss  does  not  weigh 
much  in  the  presence  of  death.  .  .  .  Since 
153 


Mary  Magdalene 

you  love  him  so  well,  is  his  life  not  worth 
a  slight  displeasure,  which  but  lately  would 
not  have  inspired  you  with  such  horror? 
...  If  there  were  a  looking-glass  in 
this  room,  I  would  go  and  gaze  at  myself 
with  curiosity,  to  make  out  what,  in  a  few 
days,  has  made  me  so  repulsive  that  the 
torture  of  the  one  man  whom  you  adore 
is  preferred  to  the  touch  of  my  lips! 
.  .  .,  But  what  is  the  matter?  .  .  . 
One  would  think  that  I  was  speaking 
of  unimaginable  things!  .  '.  .  What 
have  I  said?  What  have  I  done?  .  .  . 
Your  face  is  distorted.  .  .  .  There 
is  no  need  to  look  at  me  like  that,  with 
mad  and  terrified  eyes,  as  though  they  be- 
held the  fall  of  the  sun  or  the  violation 
of  a  tomb !  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Let  me  be.  .  .  .    You  cannot  know. . . . 
I  am  only  beginning  to  understand.  .  .  . 
153 


Mary  Magdalene 

VERUS 

A  few  days  since,  you  were  not  so  slow 
in  understanding.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (in  a  soft  and 

distant  voice} 

Yes,  yes.  .  .  .  For  one  sees  only  little 
by  little.  .  .  .  (Staring  before  her)  It 
is  unfolded  slowly,  like  a  thing  that  has 
no  beginning,  no  end,  no>  name.  .  .  . 
There  are  two  deaths  here,  I  hold  two 
deaths  in  my  hand;  and  that  is  too  heavy 
a  weight  for  a  poor  creature  born  upon 
this  earth.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Two  deaths?  .  .  .  What  do  you  mean? 
..  .  .  You  do  not  intend  to  follow  him, 
surely?  .  .  .  Your  death,  since  he  loves 
you,  would  only  add  a  very  useless  bitter- 
ness to  his.  .  .  . 

154 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (in  the  same 
soft  and  distant  'voice} 

No.  ...  I  am  not  speaking  of  mine. 
...  It  is  two  other  deaths.  ...  I  still 
have  my  senses.  ...  I  can  see  clearly  in 
the  abyss.  .  .  .  Let  me  look,  where  you 
can  see  nothing.  .  .  . 

VERUS 

I  should  not  have  thought  that,  when  I 
came  to  bring  you  his  safety  and  the  great 
sacrifice  which  I  am  making  to  love.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (with  a  sudden 
outburst} 

The  sacrifice  which  you  are  making  to 
love !  .  .  .  Ah,  if  you  could  see  the  sacri- 
fice which  is  being  accomplished  here  and 
which  the  very  angels  dare  not  look  upon ! 
..  .  .  But  you  cannot  know  what  has 
155 


Mary  Magdalene 

happened  on  earth  since  he  descended 
upon  it!  ...  It  is  no  longer  the  same 
earth;  and  it  is  no  longer  possible!  .  .  . 
Before  he  came,  the  purest  would  not  have 
hesitated!  .  .  .  .Before  he  came!  Before 
he  came!  .  .  .  And,  even  then,  to-day, 
I,  who  have  been  born  again  through  him, 
if  it  were  not  he,  if  it  were  a  question  of 
another,  I  should  not  have  the  strength! 
,.  .  .  I  should  perhaps  sin  against  all 
that  he  loves,  to  save  what  I  love !  .  .  . 
But  he  gives  too  much  strength  to  love  and 
to  suffer!  ...  I  could  save  him  in  spite 
of  himself;  but  no  longer  in  spite  of 
myself!  ...  If  I  bought  his  life  at 
the  price  which  you  offer,  all  that  he 
wished,  all  that  he  loved  would  be  dead! 
....  I  cannot  plunge  the  flame  into  the 
mire  to  save  the  lamp!  I  cannot  give 
him  the  only  death  that  could  touch  him! 
.  .  .  But  look  at  me  with  clearer  eyes 
156 


Mary  Magdalene 

and  you  shall  perhaps  see  all  that  I  per- 
ceive without  being  able  to  tell  you !  .  .  . 
Were  I  to  yield  but  for  a  moment  under 
the  weight  of  love,  all  that  he  has  said, 
all  that  he  has  done,  all  that  he  has  given 
would  sink  back  into  the  darkness,  the 
earth  would  be  more  deserted  than  if  he 
had  not  been  born  and  heaven  would  be 
closed  to  mankind  for  -ever!  ...  I 
should  be  destroying  him  altogether,  de- 
stroying more  than  himself,  to  gain  for 
him  days  which  would  destroy  every- 
thing. .  .  . 

VERUS 

It  is  not  so  much  a  question  of  gaining 
days  for  him  as  of  sparing  him  tortures, 
the  mere  thought  of  which  should  make 
you  reflect.  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
I  know !    I  know !  .  .  .     Because  I  love 
157 


Mary  Magdalene 

him  thus,  as  none  has  ever  loved  upon  this 
earth  where  heaven  had  not  yet  poured 
forth  its  love,  must  I  not  sacrifice  to  him 
what  no  human  soul  has  possessed  before 
me?  .  .  .  But  you  come  to  ask  for  all 
that  he  has  given;  and  what  he  has  given 
is  much  more  than  his  life  and  lives  more 
in  our  hearts  than  it  lives  in  himself!  .  .  . 
If  I  destroy  him  in  myself,  I  destroy  him 
in  us!  ...  I  know  no  more,  I  see  no 
more,  I  understand  no  more.  ...  I 
would  do  it,  perhaps,  if  my  soul  were 
alone ;  but  it  is  no  longer  possible  and  God 
would  not  have  it  I  .  .  . 

VERUS 

The  gods  always  will  what  men  will. . . . 
Be  sure  that,  if  he  whom  you  are  about  to 
deliver  to  the  torture  could  make  his  voice 
heard  at  this  moment,  he  would  not  hesi- 
tate. .  ,.  .. 

158 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Ah,  I  know  that  he  would  not  hesitate  I 
And  that  is  why  I  am  struggling  thus,  like 
a  blind  beast,  between  two  sacrifices!  .  .  . 
It  is  my  past  shame  that  overwhelms  me 
and  prevents  me  from  rising  to  the  level 
of  his  will!  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Man  has  but  one  will  in  the  presence  of 
death.    .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
My  God!     My  God!  ...     I  am  no- 
thing,  I  am  defiled  with  every  defilement: 
what  matters  this  one,  which  brings  thee 
life?  .  .  .     But  am  I  in  question?  .  .  . 
Is  it  not  thou  alone  whom  I  defile  to-day  in 
defiling  thy  salvation,  thou,  the  very  source 
whence  the  source  of  all  purity  and  of 
every   happiness   and  of   every  life   will 
159 


Mary  Magdalene 

spring?  ...  I  no  longer  know  where 
to  thrust  back  my  soul!  .  .  .  Nothing 
remains  to  me,  if  I  lose  it;  nothing  remains 
to  us,  if  I  save  it!  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Nothing     is     lost    so     long    as     life 
endures.    .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
Hush,  I  beseech  you!  .  .  .  Leave  me 
alone  in  his  silence  and  his  will.  .  .  .  Let 
me  contemplate,  let  me  listen  to  other 
things.  ...  I  do  not  yet  love  him  as 
he  would  be  loved!  ...  In  vain  I  raise 
my  eyes  to  his  heaven  of  light:  I  see  only 
his  death,  his  sorrows,  his  suffering.  .  .  . 
his  steadfast  face,  his  eyes  that  lit  up  all  he 
looked  upon,  his  mouth  that  spoke  un- 
ceasingly of  happiness.  ...  his  feet 
which  I  have  kissed,  lifeless  and  icy  cold! 
.  .  .  Verus,  Verus,  have  pity!  .  .  . 
160 


Mary  Magdalene 

I  cannot  bear  it,  I  cannot  bear  it!  I  am 
falling!  .  .  .  Do  with  me  what  you 
will!  .  .,  . 

VERUS  (catching  her  in  his  arms) 

Magdalene,      Magdalene!  ....        1 
knew.  .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (springing  back 
at  his  touch) 

No,  you  did  not  know!  And  it  is  not 
that !  .  .  .  There  is  something  else  I  ... 
There  is  another  outlet!  .  .  .  Verus, 
Verus,  come,  you  are  not  without  feeling, 
you  are  not  a  monster,  you  will  understand 
also.  ...  It  depends  on  you.  ...  For 
me  it  is  impossible.  .  .  .  There  is  a  wall 
there  defended  by  his  angels.  ...  I 
cannot  pass  it.  ...  I  must  not  think  of 
it.  .  :.  .  But  you,  you  can  do  everything ! 
.  .  .  To  think  that  you  hold  there,  in 
that  human  hand  of  yours,  the  life  of  the 
161 


God  of  Gods  descended  upon  earth!  .  .  . 
I  know,  I  know,  you  do  not  believe  it. 
i.,  .  .  But  you  must  at  least  believe  in 
his  innocence;  and  you  know  that  he  has 
done  no  evil.  .  .  .  He  does  not  even 
know  what  evil  is,  since  he  is  all  goodness. 
.  .  .  He  has  done  nothing  but  heal,  con- 
sole and  pray.  .  .  .  He  has  done  nothing 
but  breathe  over  men's  souls  and  flood  them 
with  happiness.  ...  If  only  you  knew 
him,  if  he  had  spoken  to  you,  were  it  but 
once !  .  .  .  Because  he  is  innocent  and 
because  you  are  just,  because  you  have 
strength  and  because  you  are  brave,  you 
cannot  deliver  him  defenceless  to  the  ex- 
ecutioners. ...  It  would  not  be  Roman, 
it  would  not  even  be  manly.  ...  .  ,. 

VERUS 

Enough  of  this;  and,  as  everything  is 
useless,  let  him  be  treated  as  you  have  de- 
162 


Mary  Magdalene 

cided.  ...    It  is  not  I  who  am  leading 
him  to  the  torture.   .    .    . 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (clinging  to  the 
garments  of  VERUS,  who  takes 

a  step  to  the  door} 

Verus!  Verus!  ...  I  implore  youl 
.  .  .  That  is  not  all !  .  .  .  All  is  not 
said!  ...  It  cannot  be  decided  like  this! 
.  .  .  But  do  not  ask  the  one  impossible 
thing.  ...  I  will  be  your  slave,  I  will 
live  at  your  feet,  serve  you  on  my  knees 
for  the  rest  of  my  days;  but  give  me  his 
life  without  destroying  in  my  soul  and 
throughout  the  earth  that  which  is  the  very 
life  of  our  new  life !  .  .  . 

VERUS 

Enough!   .    .    .     Besides,   there    is   no 
time.     My  patience  in  saving  a  rival  whom 
I  hate  is  as  ridiculous  as  your  persistent  at- 
163 


Mary  Magdalene 

tempt  to  save  your  lover  by  singing  his 
praises!  .  .  .  When  you  see  him  'dead, 
in  less  than  three  hours  hence,  do  not  weep 
over  him,  lest  your  tears  should  be  flung 
back  in  your  own  face!  .  .  .  (Perceiv- 
ing JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA,  who  dis- 
creetly opens  the  door,  to  the  left,  of  the 
Supper-room.)  Who  goes  there?  .  .  . 
Come  in,  come  in,  this  is  the  very  thing! 
.  .  .  We  need  witnesses.  Where  are 
the  mountebanks,  the  monsters,  the  lepers? 
I  want  to  tell  them  .  .  . 

MARY  MAGDALENE 
What?  .  .  . 

VERUS 

They  shall  know  who  has  betrayed  their 
god !  .  .  .  We  shall  then  see  if  you  have 
the  heart  to  despatch  him  before  their  eyes 
and  how  they  will  take  the  news!  .  .  . 
Repugnant  though  they  be,  I  want  to  see 
164 


Mary  Magdalene 

their  ugly  faces  again !  .  .  .      (He  reaches 
the  door  and  throws  it  open  wide.) 

MARY    MAGDALENE     (hurrying    to 
stop  his  action) 

Verus!     Verus!    .     .    .     This   is   not 
worthy  of  you !  .   .   . 

VERUS 

I  know!  I  know!  ...  I  am  not 
worthy  of  anything,  it  appears !  Not  even 
of  you,  harlot!  .  .  .  (Calling  in  a  loud 
voice)  Hi!  Hi!  The  rest  of  you! 
.  .  .  Where  are  you  ?  .  .  .  Hasten  this 
way,  you  halt  and  lame,  you  club-feet,  you 
cripples,  you  beggars,  vagrants,  lepers,  par- 
alytics! ...  I  have  something  of  im- 
portance to  tell  you!  .  .  .  (Startled 
faces  appear  in  the  embrasures  of  the  two 
doors.) 

165 


Mary  Magdalene 

SCENE  V 

VERUS,  MARY  MAGDALENE  and  nearly 
ALL  THE  CHARACTERS  of  SCENE  III 

VERUS 

Come  in,  come  in,  you  have  nothing  to 
fear!  .  .  .  (They  ENTER,  timidly.)  Are 
you  all  there?  .  .  .  There  seem  to  be 
fewer  of  you.  .  .  .  Where  are  the  others 
gone?  .  .  . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA 
Sir,  some  of  them  fear  lest  the  night  .  ..  . 

VERUS 

I  understand;  they  were  afraid.  .  .  . 
Their  love  and  their  faith  do  not  take  any 
risk  of  blows.  .  .  .  However,  these  will 
do.  ...  Do  you  see  that  woman?  .  .  . 
I  came  to  offer  to  save  your  master.  She 
had  only  to  say  yes.  She  has  said  no.  She 
166 


\ 
Mary  Magdalene 

orders  his  death.    He  will  therefore  die  at 
sunrise. 

(Sensation  in  the  crowd.) 

NICODEMUS 

What  is  he  saying,  Magdalene?  .  ..   ,- 
(MARY  MAGDALENE  does  not  reply.) 

VERUS 
Ask  her,  you  will  learn.  .   .   ., 

NICODEMUS 
Magdalene,  is  it  true?  .  ..,  ... 

(MARY  MAGDALENE  remains  silent.) 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA 
But  come,  answer!  .    .   .     What  is  the 
matter  with  you?  ,.   .   ., 

VERUS 

She  is  at  the  same  time  betraying  and 
destroying    all   those    who    followed    the 
167 


Mary  Magdalene 

tempter.    I  have  spoken.    Farewell.    Look 
to  yourselves.     (He  turns  to  the  door.) 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A    (stopping 

him  and  beseeching  him) 
Sir,  I  beg  of  you,  do  not  go  away  like 
this.  .  .  .  She  is  mistaken,  you  will 
see.  .  .  .  There  is  some  terrible  mis- 
understanding. .  .  .  Magdalene,  come, 
what  is  he  saying,  what  do  you  say?  .  .  . 
Why,  it  is  impossible!  .  .  .  What  has 
happened?  .  .  . 

SEVERAL  SICK  MEN  and  BEGGARS 
(surrounding  MAGDALENE,  who  re- 
mains   motionless,    gazing   blindly 
into  the  distance) 
Magdalene!    Magdalene*  .  .  . 

A  HUNCHBACK 

She  also  has  sold  him!  .   .   .     She  was 
with  the  Iscariotl  .  .  . 
168 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARTHA   (putting  her  arms  around 

MAGDALENE'S  neck) 

Magdalene !  .  .  .     Listen  to  me  I  .  .   . 

You  used  to  love  me.   .    .    .     What  has 

come  to  you?  .    .    .     Tell  me  it  is  not 

true.   .    .    .    You  have  not  heard.   .    .    . 

MARY  CLEOPHAS  (putting  her  hand 

on  MAGDALENE'S  shoulder) 
Magdalene,  Magdalene!  .   .   .     No,  it 
is  impossible.  .  .  .     You  cannot  have  for- 
gotten. .    .   . 

A  POOR  MAN 
How  much  did  you  receive?  .   .    . 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
Yes,  how  much?  .    .   .     Where  is  the 
money?  ... 

ANOTHER 

Give  back  the  gold!     Give  back  the 
gold  I  ...     Search  her  I  ... 
169 


Mary  Magdalene 

MARY  SALOME 

Magdalene!     Magdalene!   .    .    .     She 
is  mad !  .   .   . 

A  VAGRANT 

Harlot!  .   .   .     Soldiers'  wench!  .   .  .., 

ANOTHER1. 

Strumpet!    Strumpet!    Strumpet! 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
The  seven  devils  whom  he  cast  out  have 
entered  her  body  again!  .    .  ... 

ANOTHER 
She  has  sold  us  like  a  herd  of  oxen !  .  .  ., 

A  SICK  MAN 
We  shall  all  have  to  suffer !  .  .  ,.t 

ANOTHER 

Yes,  but  not  before  she  does!  .  .  »v 
170 


Mary  Magdalene 

THE  MAN  WHOSE  HAND  WAS  WITHERED 
She  shall  not  go  from  here  until  .   .   . 

A  PALSIED  MAN 

In  any  case,  she  shall  not  go  hence  alive, 
take  my  word  for  it  I  .  .  . 

(Almost  ALL,  shouting,  gesticulating, 
threatening,  with  clenched  fists, 
crowd  round  MAGDALENE,  who  re- 
mains motionless  and  dumb.) 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^EA    (interven- 


Come,  come,  do  not  forget  who  you  are, 
where  you  are  nor  in  whose  name  you  are 
speaking.  (To  VERUS)  Sir,  I  beg  of 
you,  a  little  patience.  .  ...  ,.  I  am  a  just 
and  reasonable  man;  and  everything  will 
be  explained.  .  .  .  Listen,  Magdalene, 
171 


Mary  Magdalene 

I  am  speaking  to  you  m  his  name.  .  .  . 
There  is  still  time  to  say  yes.  ...  I  am 
speaking  as  a  father.  .  .  . 

(MAGDALENE  maintains  her  motion- 
less silence.) 

THE  HUNCHBACK 

You  see!   .    .    .     She  has  received  the 
price!  .    .   . 

(An  explosion  of  hatred.  ALL  sur- 
round her  more  closely.  The  cries, 
the  threats,  the  imprecations,  the 
entreaties,  the  moans  are  redoubled. 
Suddenly,  in  the  street,  rises  a  tu- 
mult which  drowns  that  in  the  Sup- 
per-room. It  is  the  shouting  of  an 
angry  crowd  approaching  swiftly, 
the  sound  of  arms  and  horses.  The 
uproar  in  the  room  is  at  once  lulled. 
ALL  listen,  anxiously.) 
178 


Mary  Magdalene 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
The   Romans!    .    .    .      The   soldiers  I 
.  .  .    They  are  coming  to  arrest  us !  .  .  . 
She  has  betrayed  us!   .    .    .     Let  us  fly! 
;.   .   .     This  way,  this  way!  ..   .  . 

(ALL  lose  their  heads.  Some  run 
wildly  round  the  room,  seeking  for 
an  outlet.) 

A  VAGRANT 

No,  no!  .  .  .  Do  not  go  out!  .  .  . 
There  is  only  one  door !  .  .  .  We  cannot 
escape!  .  ,..  ,..  They  would  discover 
us!  .  .  . 

A  MAN  CURED  BY  A  MIRACLE 
Be  silent !  .  .  .     Hide  yourselves !  .  .  . 

A  CRIPPLE 

Why  do  you  not  put  out  the  lamps? 
173 


Mary  Magdalene 

.    .    .     They  will  see  the  lights!    .    .    ., 
Quick !    Quick !    Put  out  the  lamps  I  ... 
(The  lamps  are  put  out.) 

ANOTHER 

Do  not  go  to  the  windows!  .  .  .  Do 
not  show  yourselves  at  the  windows !  .  .  ., 
Lie  down  along  the  walls!  ... 

VERUS 

It  is  a  noble  spectacle  and  I  long  to  see 
it  out.  .  .  . 

JOSEPH  OF  ARIMATH^A  (going  up  to 

VERUS) 

Sir,  do  not  ruin  them.  .  .  .  They  are 
weak  and  poor.  .  .  .  Almost  all  of  them 
are  sick.  .  .  .  They  know  not  what  they 
do.  ...  Have  pity  on  men  and  do  not 
judge  them.  .  .  . 

(The  shouts — "Crucify  him!     Cru- 
cify him!  .   .   .     Tempter!    Temp- 
174 


Mary  Magdalene 

ter!  ..  .  .  Galilean!  Ntzarene! 
i.  .  ...  He  would  destroy  the  Tem- 
ple! .  .  .  He  would  destroy  the 
Law!  .  .  .  Blasphemer!  .  .  . 
Crucify  him!  Crucify  him!  Cru- 
cify him!" — are  redoubled  in  the 
street  and  are  now  heard  out- 
side the  house  itself.  The  red 
light  of  the  torches  is  cast  into  the 
room.  THE  BLIND  MAN  OF  JERI- 
CHO steals  up  to  one  of  the  win- 
dows and  looks  out.) 

A  PANIC-STRICKEN  VOICE 
Do  not  go  to  the  windows  I  .   .  r., 

A  LAME  MAN    (going  to  another 

window) 
What  is  happening?  .   .   . 

THE  BLIND  MAN  OF  JERICHO 

It  is  he!  .   .   . 

175 


Mary  Magdalene 

[(Several  PERSONS,  irresistibly  at- 
tracted, climb  up  to  the  windows 
and  look  into  the  street,  with  in- 
finite caution.  Occasionally  ONE  of 
them  turns  to  those  who  remain  at 
the  back  of  the  room,  to  tell  them 
what  he  sees.) 

ONE  OF  THOSE  AT  THE  WINDOWS 

There  are  soldiers  all  around  him!  ._..  ., 
There  is  a  crowd  of  them  1  ... 

ANOTHER 

He  is  coming  1  He  is  coming  this 
way!  .  .  .  His  hands  are  bound!  .  .  . 
They  are  striking  him !  .  .  . 

ANOTHER 

He  is  weeping!  .  .  .  His  eyes  are 
bleeding!  .  .  . 

ANOTHER 

They  are  taking  him  to  Pilate  I  t.    .    .1 
176 


Mary  Magdalene 

There  are  Peter  and  John,  hiding  them* 
selves!   .  ,.    . 

ANOTHER 
The  blood  is  dripping  on  his  feet!  .  .  . 

ANOTHER 

He  cannot  walk  any  farther!  .  .  .    He 
staggers!     He  staggers!  .   .   . 

VERUS  (to  MAGDALENE,  who  has  not 
moved  and  who  stands  against  a 
column,  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
staring  before  her,  without  turning 
towards  the  windows) 
Magdalene!  .   .   .- 

(In  the  street,  suddenly,  the  tumult 
falls,  as  a  huge,  heavy  object  might 
fall.  A  wonderful  silence.) 

A  VOICE  (in  the  roomy 

What  is  it?  .   .  ... 
177 


Mary  Magdalene 

THE  BLIND  MAN  OF  JERICHO   (at 

the  window} 

He  falls!  .   .   .     He  has  f alien  1  .   .  . 
He  is  looking  at  the  house!  ... 

VERUS 
Magdalene,  I  still  promise  you.  .   .  , 

MARY  MAGDALENE  (without  stirring, 
without  looking  at  VERUS,  without 
anger,  simply,  in  a  voice  from  an- 
other life,  full  of  peace,  full  of  di- 
vine clarity  and  certainty) 
Go!  ... 

THE  BLIND  MAN  OF  JERICHO  (at 

the  window) 

He  rises  to  his  feet  I   ...     They  drag 
him  along!    .    .    . 

(  The  tumult,  the  shouts  of  "  Crucify 
him/"  are  resumed  and  redoubled 
178 


Mary  Magdalene 

in  the  street.  VERUS  GOES  OUT 
slowly,  with  his  eyes  on  MAGDA- 
LENE, who  remains  motionless,  as 
though  in  ecstasy  and  all  illumined 
with  the  light  of  the  departing 
torches.} 

CURTAIN 


179 


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